Perfect Mistake
by lissieheart
Summary: DracoHermione. Hermione has the perfect family, a loving husband and the best daughter she could have but she nurses a deep secret, one which can shatter her family when the man whom this secret surrounds returns into her life.
1. One: Catch Me As I Fall

Disclaimer: I am not JKR, and these characters do not belong to me, just the plot, but that's better than nothing.

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**Perfect Mistake** One 

Catch Me As I Fall

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"_Trust me," he grinned, holding her hands._

_She shifted slightly uncomfortably- she just wasn't… at ease with this kind of risk-taking. "Why should I?" she tried to wrench her hands away but he held fast onto them, but not forcefully, just… firmly._

"_Because," he looked into her eyes._

"_Because what?" she laughed, pulling her hands away finally._

"_Because I love you," he said simply and her doubts seemed to evaporate._

_She cast her eyes down and then looked up, "Okay."_

"_Okay," he repeated, smiling and took her hands once more._

_This time, she didn't try and pull away, instead she let her fingers entwine with his as they walked down the quiet road that Saturday evening._

_---_

Hermione groaned.

"Brittany Weasley," she shouted with her hands on her hips.

"Yes?" the five year old peeked out from behind the sofa guiltily.

"What did you do again?" Hermione said sternly.

"I didn't do it," she squeaked, rushing into her mother's arms. "I swear, it was an accident, I didn't do it on purpose!"

Hermione scooped her daughter into her arms and shook her head in exasperation. "You are nothing but trouble," Hermione commented as she cleaned up the mess on the kitchen floor with a flick of the wand.

"Not true!" the girl protested, struggling in Hermione's arms. "I'm your perfect little bumble bee."

Hermione laughed. "Yes, you're my little bee." She ruffled her daughter's blonde curls. Her heart wrenched slightly as her fingers brushed through the silky silver-white hair that reminded her so much of someone else.

"Hello? Anyone notice that I'm home?" Ron called out, as Bee struggled in Hermione's eyes reaching for her daddy.

"Daddy!" Bee screamed. "You're home!"

"Yes, we all know," Hermione rolled her eyes.

Ron chuckled, kissing the top of his daughter's head. "I always wonder about the hair," Ron laughed.

"My grandma was a blonde," Hermione said, the lie coming easier every time. Well, technically it wasn't a lie because Helena Granger, her father's mother who was now dead, was indeed a blonde, but Hermione knew it wasn't the real reason that Bee had blonde hair. "Things like this sometimes skip generations."

"The only Weasley without the hair," Ron said fondly.

Hermione laughed, her blood running cold. She hated it when they came to the hair topic; it scared her that he would find out.

Find out that Bee wasn't his daughter.

---

"_How did we come to this, Granger?" he asked in wonder._

"_Beats me," Hermione said, as they lay on the grass and stared up at the stars that littered the night sky. _

"_I never would have thought that it would come to this," he tilted his head to face her, grinning. "Me and you, lying on some grassy land in goodness knows where staring at the stars, without an argument."_

_Hermione laughed. "Three months ago I would have told you to check into St. Mungos," she said honestly._

"_Seriously, how did we get here?" he asked, propping himself up with an elbow and looking down at her._

_Hermione looked into his eyes- pools of liquid silver. "Seriously, Draco, I don't know. You tell me," she admitted._

"_Could it be that I am devilishly sexy, insanely handsome, ridiculously rich and completely utterly irresistible to women like you?" he joked to which she choked on her own laughter._

"_You are unbelievable," she said, scandalized._

_He leaned closer and her giggles ceased instantly._

_She shivered and swallowed; her mouth dry. She licked her lips nervously and said," In a nice unbelievable way," she added._

_He smiled, leaning in more. _

_She was a quivering mess beneath him as he placed his arms either side of her face for support as he lowered his head to kiss her full on the lips. She whimpered, her hands finding their way to his face, then sliding up to tangle with his hair._

_We are complete, she realized, with each other, we are complete._

_She knew at that moment, their lips moving in sync with each others, as they lay entwined on the field with stars as their witnesses, he was thinking the exact same thing._

_---_

Hermione tucked her daughter into bed, smiling. "Goodnight, Bee."

"Mommy, you promised a story!" she sat up accusingly.

Hermione laughed. "How could I have even thought I could have wormed out of this?"

Bee laughed. "Come on, Mommy, please?"

Hermione shook her head in resignation and sat on the edge of Bee's bed. "What story do you want?"

"Tell me about when you and Daddy went to school!" Bee said eagerly.

Hermione forced a smile. "Alright, sweetie pie, I'll tell you about what a naughty boy your Daddy was."

Bee clapped gleefully.

"He never did his homework," Hermione's voice shook and she cleared her throat. "He didn't like me when he first met me. He thought I was a bossy stuck up know it all. But in the end," Hermione smiled at Bee.

"You fell in love, although you hated each other at first?" Bee grinned.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "We fell in love."

"Tell me more!" Bee protested. "That's barely a story."

Hermione sighed. "Alright, I'll tell you about how brave your daddy was when we tried to save the Philosopher's stone in first year." _I'll tell you about how brave your daddy was when he risked his life to be with me. _"Your daddy was such a brave boy. He fought with us, the three of us side by side and got terribly injured when we were forced to play with a gigantic wizarding chess set." _Your daddy was such a brave man. He fought his own father for me, he faced his darkest deepest fears just so he could hold my hand, and though he failed, he is still a hero in my heart. I thought I was going to lose him forever when he had leave me, but then I realized that he had left me you._

Hermione closed her eyes against the pain. "Bee, Mommy's very tired, I'll continue the story tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright," Bee said meekly and pulled the blanket over her head as Hermione stood up. She waved her wand and the lights went out.

"Goodnight, sweetie," Hermione closed the door and closed the gaping hole in the heart that no one else could fill.

---

_Winter_

_Seventh Year_

_Hermione grinned up at Ron as they stood in the snow._

"_You have a snowflake on your nose," he pointed out and she laughed._

_She stiffened as he leaned down and kissed the tip of her very cold nose with his warm lips. The snowflake attached itself to his lip and melted._

_She had a feeling that in his arms, she was supposed to melt like that snowflake but why was it, she wondered, that she only froze more?_

_Ron smiled._

_She forced her lips upwards to smile back._

"_I love you," he intoned clearly, staring into her eyes and Hermione's mind went blank._

"_I love you too," her voice returned when inside, she was screaming in despair._

_He gathered her into his arms and Hermione stood there, thrown off-balance and confused, once again, and wondered why she always ended up where she was supposed to be and not where she wanted to be. _

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A/N: 

Bee, Hermione's daughter's nickname in this fic is a nod to Bridget Vreeland's nickname Bee in the series of books The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. (: just wanted to point that out.

REVIEWS are LOVE, so make me ridiculously happy by reviewing, will you?

tell me what you thought, as well as check out my other fics- Catch a Falling Star and Stained over at my author page. If you pop over to AdultFanFiction archive and search the authors for "lissie" you'd find me and you can read my baby (my very first fanfic and my masterpiece) A Piece of Forever which i'm going to finish once AFF is properly fixed. (: remember to review while you're there too.

-lissie


	2. Two: More Than Worthy

Disclaimer: I own nothing, but the plot and Bee (:

**

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Perfect Mistake **

Two

More Than Worthy

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Hermione awoke to find the pillow under her head soaked through with tears. 

Sitting up, she hastily wiped the wet streaks away from her face and spelled the damp spot on her pillow away before lying back down.

Why was it that he would never stop haunting her?

Her dreams, her memories, her life, were all filled with him and the ghosts of their past.

He surrounded her with his presence everyday, every damn minute, he was there. What was he trying to do to her? She was going nowhere, but going out of her mind.

It had been five years and they still couldn't let go.

Hermione heard Ron's snores from beside her and clutched the blanket closer to her chest. Ron, he was the most pitiful one, caught up in their torrential relationship and had no idea. Hermione had used him and he had no idea. Hermione turned her head to face her husband and smiled- Ron, ever the caring, loving one.

But it just didn't feel the same. She had given up trying to a long time ago- it was impossible.

_**Looking at your picture from when we first met**_

_**You gave me a smile that I could never forget**_

_**And nothing I could do could protect me from you that night.**_

How could she just let those memories, more beautiful than anything she had known just slip away?

Why did she even bother trying?

There would never be anything like his smile, anything like his kisses. He overwhelmed her; he poured all of what he had into her and filled up all those little gaps inside her soul. He made her alive.

Now that he was gone, without a single trace, the holes seemed bigger, wider and so much emptier.

What they say is really true; she realized as she tossed and turned in bed- you won't miss the water until it's gone.

_**Wrapped around your finger, always on my mind**_

_**The days would blend cause we'd stay up all night**_

_**And you and I were everything, everything to me**_

She never thought he could have made her feel all those things she felt when she was him.

It was Malfoy, for heaven's sake- how could it be?

But it was true, indeed. He brought her to heights no one could and with a few simple words, he brushed away all her fears and all her doubts. He made her smile like no one else could, he build his love around her and she built her dreams around him.

Now that he was gone, her dreams had gone to.

Her life had been so full of him. How could she continue to live when he was gone?

But she did, she survived, but barely. Who was she to say that she would ever be the same? She was empty now, hollow and lonely and a broken ghost of she used to be.

No one could fix her now.

She just had to face the fact that he had ruined her too far for anyone else.

_**I just want you to know that I've been fighting to let you go  
Some days I make it through and then there's nights that never end  
I wish that I could believe that there's a day you'll come back to me  
But still I have to say I would do it all again  
Just want you to know**_

She wanted him with a hunger that was almost bestial. She refused to admit that she ached for him with a kind of yearning that she never knew, but inside, how could she lie to herself?

She needed him like she needed air to breathe. She wanted him to wrap her around with his love, wrap his words around her, surround her with his dreams and hold her close to his body. She missed him so much that she found it hard to breathe, found it hard to live.

Ron was lovely. He was nice and he was a good father, a good husband but he was not the same.

Draco- Draco was more than worthy of Hermione's love, although she never had a chance to reassure him of this. He always thought that she was too good for her but Hermione always forgot to tell him that it was him that was more than worthy.****

All the doors are closing I'm trying to move ahead  
And deep inside I wish it's me instead  
My dreams are empty from the day, the day you slipped away.

She thought about him every second of the day.

She thought about how he was living now- whether he was married, whether he had children. She knew that he couldn't be in England anymore, or she would have heard about him, the Malfoy name being notorious. No one knew where they had gone, and after some time, no one really bothered anymore.

She wondered whether he thought about her the same way as she did him. When she looked up at the stars, she wondered if he was looking at the same stars too, and thinking of the times they spent lying next to each other making up hilarious stories about the stars by playing join-the-dots.

Was it her, or was it real that every night, no matter what, the stars spelled out his name?

He haunted her, he was like plague.

_**Since I lost you,**_

_**I lost myself**_

_**No, I can't fake it**_

_**There's no one else.**_

She loved him; she would never stop- never ever, because she couldn't.

She would walk through all of hell to hold his hand, even now.

The feelings never faded away, she had to admit to herself as she lay awake in the dark, thinking of him- they only intensified as she missed him more every second.

She wanted him with a longing that nobody would ever understand.

The tears that prickled behind her eyes threatened to fall and Hermione had never felt as alone as she cried in silence, letting her longing, her need flow out of her.

---

_Their faces were smeared with tears- but whose tears?_

_Hermione held him close as they swayed side by side, their lips fused together. His hands were clamped on either side of her face, kissing her as though there was no tomorrow._

_She could taste the salt from the tears. Her tears, his tears, it was okay, because his tears were hers._

"_Hermione," he croaked and she felt stars explode in front of her eyes as he let his fingers tangle in her hair, pulling her head backwards to kiss her deeper._

_She was sobbing quietly as her hands searched his back, her palm running over the smooth material of his robes. She could feel the vibrations rock his body and she knew he was crying too._

"_Don't leave me," she breathed into his mouth._

"_I won't," he promised, smudging tears on her hair as he broke the kiss. She was pushed up against his body and she was never more complete._

"_Draco?" she said softly, pulling away to look at him._

_He wiped his tears away on his sleeve and ran his shaking fingers through his hair, trying to regain his composure. Her hand caught his wrist. "It's okay," she whispered, standing on her toes to press a fleeting kiss to his swollen lips._

"_It's okay, I'm just as scared as you are, but together," she said, gripping his hands in hers firmly, holding his gaze with her brown bright eyes._

"_Together we will keep each other safe," he finished for her. "I know."_

"_I know you do," she nodded. "It's okay to be scared, Draco."_

"_I don't know," he cracked a smile. _

"_It's okay to be weak sometimes," she whispered. "It's always okay, because I will keep you safe, just like you will do for me."_

"_Promise?" he said his voice low._

_Their gazes locked and she was falling into his eyes._

"_Promise." She replied and then, his mouth claimed hers once more._

_---_

"Mommy," Bee screamed, hurtling herself into Hermione's arms. "Daddy says you're going to take me to Hogwarts!"

Hermione laughed, bending down to plant a kiss on Bee's forehead.

"Yes, we're going to watch Jennifer get sorted," Hermione smiled. Jennifer was Bill and Fleur's ten going on eleven year old daughter.

"Isn't it just cool that family members can watch the sorting now?" Ron said, adjusting his robes, grinning at Hermione.

"Absolutely," Hermione picked Bee up with a grunt and set her on the kitchen table, straightening the pink dress she had on.

"You look beautiful," Ron said, admiring the baby blue cocktail dress that Hermione had on.

"It's just a dress," Hermione laughed. "Let's go and meet Harry and Gin."

Hermione hugged Bee close to her body as they apparated to Harry and Ginny's house.

After fussing over Bee, they huddled around the portkey- a small sock.

"1, 2, 3," Ginny giggled and then the room spun.

They landed on a grassy patch that they recognized instantly.

Hermione started to laugh. "This is the lake!" she said gleefully.

"I wonder if the Giant Squid is still alive," Ginny said in wonder.

"It still looks absolutely the same," Harry appraised the towers in front of them.

"I know," Ron said grinning. "Let's head in."

Dumbledore was giving his usual speech and they found the rest of the crowd- Bill, Fleur, Fred and George. George whispered that the rest couldn't make it- Charlie was home celebrating his wife's birthday, and their wives- Angelina and Katie were in Paris.

It was a bit of a squeeze but they managed.

Bee was squirming and giggling in excitement.

"Where am I going to sit next time?" she asked.

"That big hat over there is going to decided for you five years later," Hermione smiled.

"Where did you sit when you were here?"

"Over where the red and gold flag is," Hermione pointed.

"What about Daddy?"

_Over where the green and silver flag is, _Hermione cleared her throat and answered, "We sat at the same table. We were both in Gryffindor."

Bee watched in fascination as the first years got called up and got sorted.

Hermione grinned to herself when she realized that all the Professors looked exactly the same, just a little older.

"Who's that grumpy man?" Bee said in a harsh whisper, staring at Snape.

"That's good ol' Snape, the big bad Potions Master," Ron hissed and Bee giggled.

Hermione fought a laugh and swatted him. "Oh hush, Ron!"

Her gaze floated over to where he used to sit and her throat clammed up.

Suddenly everyone in the hall faded away and she was standing there watching the two of them in their seventh year, buttering their toasts. She was overwhelmed by the urge to return to those times, where they were caught in between their dislike and their attraction towards each other. She remembered like it was yesterday, the bickers between them, laced thick with sexual tension; she remembered the accidental touches that left her aching for more; she remembered being caught looking at him, but that was okay, because it meant that he was looking back; she remembered kissing a very drunk him in the dark hallways after lights out; she remembered crying because of her confusion over her feelings towards him.

Those days, they were better than this, because at least during those times, he was there for her to hold if she wanted to.

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A/N:

The song in the first part of this chapter (in bold italics)is 'Just Want You To Know' by the Backstreet Boys.

Thanks for the reviews(: i hope truckloads more of them come in and i will be absolutely delighted.

Ihope this chapter was good, if it was- review, if it wasn't- review. Just review x)

thanks-


	3. Three: All You Wanted

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters (except for Bee) and i am not JKR. i just own the plot and nothing else.

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**Perfect Mistake**

Three

All You Wanted

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_He kissed his way down her jaw as she lay, breathless and spread out on the bed, her eyes fluttering shut._

"_You are more than beautiful," he declared and her lips curved into a small smile._

_He grasped her gently by the shoulders and heaved her up. She squealed and her eyes snapped open._

_He looped his arms around her body, burying his face in her curls and she tried to remind herself to keep breathing._

_He smelt wonderful, musky and sweet and spicy. _

"_Draco," she whispered._

"_I want you," he confessed. "You were all I wanted all along."_

_She closed her eyes. "Draco," she breathed again._

"_Please?" he mumbled, pushing her hair out of her face._

_She parted her lips and their mouths met, sending sparks down her spine. She arched into him as he made love to her mouth._

_Their bodies met as they tried to press as close as possible, like they were trying to get under each other's skin._

_His hands fumbled at the zipper of her dress, his fingers shaking._

_Her hands came to cover his and she unzipped her dress herself, meeting his eyes._

"_Okay," she agreed and he stared at her, a light coming into his eyes as her dress fell away from her body._

"_Okay," he rasped and scooped her body into his arms where he clutched at her like he never wanted to let her go._

_---_

"Mommy?" Bee's voice broke through Hermione's tangled thoughts.

"Hermione? Are you alright?" Ron was holding her, alarmed.

"I'm fine," Hermione replied automatically before realizing that there were tears flowing down her face. "I'm okay." She managed a smile to convince them. "I'm getting over emotional."

Ginny laughed. "I'm getting tears in my eyes thinking about the good old times here too," she quipped.

Hermione smiled back at the redhead.

"Those were good times," Harry said wistfully.

"Definitely," Ron nodded emphatically.

"Oh, the days when we were young and innocent," lamented the twins dramatically.

"Yeah right," Hermione said sarcastically. "Tell me one day when Fred and George were ever innocent."

They burst into amused laughter as the sorting went on and Hermione stood, wearing a smile on her face but crying inside.

Hermione felt a soft hand rest on the small of her waist and stopped herself just in time from whirling around in shock.

She smiled at Ron. "Hey," she said softly, smiling.

"You look like you've got a lot on your mind," he noticed. "Are you alright?"

Hermione gave him a weary smile. "I don't know why, but I feel really tired lately."

_We don't fit, Ron, I'm sorry. Like when you put your hand on my waist, it just feels wrong, completely wrong. When he placed his hand, it was like a piece of me falling back into place._

Hermione let her husband pull her into his arms and sway her from side to side, whispering words of love inside her ear, but she was deaf to them. All she heard was _his _voice, caressing her skin, speaking of great love, speaking of _their_ future, _their _love, and how it had all fallen apart.

She felt all wrong in Ron's arms, although it had been this way for the past few years.

"Ron," she stepped back, smiling. "I'm going to bed, are you?"

He nodded. "I'm going to take a shower first," he said, gesturing her to go get rest first.

She crawled into their bed, hugging her pillow to herself, trying to tell herself that it'd all be fine, it'd be alright and all she needed was time. But the thing was she had had time, years of it, but the feelings had only gotten stronger, the suffering even worse and her love still as big the sky, as bright as the stars.

I still love you, she thought, I can't stop, Merlin knows how much I've tried to stop, but I can't. I guess once I tasted the kind of love, the kind of happiness I could have, I would always be craving for it.

Hermione pulled the blanket higher and buried her head in the warmth of the quilted material. She picked at the threads hesitantly.

Pick out one thread, pull, and the whole quilt unravels, one mistake is going to cost you, she thought with a tired smile. Her fingers let go of the stray thread on the frayed edge and fisted her hair instead, muffling screams into her pillow.

She just wanted to get it all out- out of her body where it ate her like some kind of plague.

I'm dying, she thought, hearing the water start to run in the bathroom. I really am, she realized.

I'm paralyzed without you, she thought bitterly. I can't live, I can't breathe, I can't think, I can't love without you. I can't fucking do anything I used to find so easy to. How much control do you have over me, Draco? How much? How is it that you've taken over everything bit of me? How is it that without being here, you are inside of me? That you are all around me, that you are within my very being, hollowing me from inside because you're not really here yet.

I've asked God for so much- for happiness, for love, for protection, but she realized it all narrowed down to one thing- Draco. She could have gotten Draco and have everything she asked for. He was everything to her, and she realized with a pang, that till now, he was still all, all she wanted.

Why does it hurt to want you this fucking much?

Why does it hurt so fucking much?

Where are you now? I want to follow you like a ghost, so I can finally see where you go when you're gone. I need you here right now. I wanted so much, yet so little at the same time. You swept me away, you took me to places I've never been but now, I'm stuck right where I was before you, yet I'm not the same as then.

You changed me, Draco, but you made me the same again.

---

"_I'm sorry," the words tumbled out of his lips._

_She looked up._

_He thrust the bouquet at her, his face emotionless._

_She turned away._

"_Hermione," he sighed._

_She offered no reaction. He left the bouquet on the table beside her. She heard him walk out of the room and she only leapt up from her seat when the door swung shut._

_She stared at the shut door with disbelief. She sat back down, her bottom lip quivering as the tears threatened to fall. She cradled the bouquet in her arms and buried her face in the blooms. _

_The door reopened and she dropped the bouquet like it was red-hot._

_He stood at the door, staring at her and her felt a fire heat up her face._

_The tears overflowed as she looked at him accusingly._

_He closed his eyes and unclenched the fists she didn't realize she was clenching and spread his fingers out. She rushed into his arms and realized she never wanted to let go. _

"_I'm sorry," she said._

_He only held her closer and whispered words in her ears that she wanted to keep with her always._

_I love you; I'll never let you go again; I'll never try to think about living without you._

_She cried, because those were her words too._

_And he knew._

_---_

Hermione was really tired.

She wanted to go to sleep and never wake up nowadays and Bee was the reason that she dragged her body out of bed every morning; she was her sole reason to fight for her life.

Bee was too young to leave alone.

Ron, ever the thick insensitive person he was ever since Hogwarts days, did not notice nor did he pay attention.

Hermione was alone in this. Not that she wanted anyone else in it with her, except him, she would go anywhere, anywhere he was just to be there, with him. It was all she wanted, all she needed, all that really mattered.

All you wanted, she remembered, was for me to take you away, for me to make you free, for me to love you; do you still want the same things? Because I can still give them to you, or rather, I've never let them go.

Where are you now? Don't you know that I still need you?

* * *

how was it?

please review! (:

thanks

-lissie


	4. Four: Never Forgotten

Disclaimer: I am not JKR, don't sue.

* * *

**Perfect Mistake**

Four

Never Forgotten

* * *

Bee beamed up at her parents as they walked along Diagon Alley. She was buzzing with excitement. 

"Honey, it's just a wand," Ron chuckled.

"I was like this when I got my first wand," Hermione admitted. "But I was much older than you were though, so you're lucky."

Bee grinned. "Yes, Mommy, I know."

They reached Ollivander's. "Here we are," Hermione crouched down and smiled down at her daughter.

"We're going to leave with that old man inside alright?" Ron said, pointing at Ollivander who was smiling kindly at Bee.

"Okay," Bee nodded obediently. Hermione opened the door, exchanged a smile with Ollivander. "I'll be back to get you in ten minutes alright?"

Bee bounded up to the counter.

"Here to get your first wand, aye?" Ollivander said.

She nodded.

The door opened. A tall blond man walked in.

"Mr. Malfoy?" Ollivander stared. "Where have you been?"

"America," the man said simply.

"How may I help you today?"

"I wanted to get my wand fixed," he said, holding up a wand, broken in half.

Bee cringed.

The man looked down, seeing her for the first time. He cracked a smile, "Hello."

"Hi," Bee squeaked.

"Here to get your first wand?" The man leaned down, a crooked smile gracing his face.

"Yes," Bee grinned.

"How old are you?"

"Five," Bee held up five fingers proudly. "I'm getting my wand early because Mommy says I'm smart."

"I see," the man smiled.

"Ms. Weasley," Ollivader called, handing her a wand. "Try this."

Bee reached out but before she so much touched the wand, it was whisked away.

"You're a Weasley," the man said urgently, his steel grey eyes bearing into her.

"Yes," Bee said nervously.

"Why don't you have red hair?" the man asked in disbelief.

Bee laughed. "Mommy says I take after her side of the family."

The man relaxed considerably. "I see- your mother's a blonde?"

"No, she has brown hair, but her grandmother had blonde hair so she says things like this skip generations," Bee beamed.

The man was staring at her with such intensity that it was making Bee uncomfortable.

"Little girl, who are your parents?" he said slowly.

"My daddy is Ron Weasley and my mommy is Hermione Granger," Bee said quickly, wanting to get away.

The man straightened, backing away. "No," he whispered. "You said you'd wait." His eyes were not focused anymore and Bee thought he was a mad man. He didn't look one but Mommy always said that looks were deceiving. This man was young, handsome, clean but he might be a really bad guy. Bee shivered, slightly nervous.

The door flew open and Bee flew into her mother's arms gratefully. She was always be safe if her mother was around.

"Got your wand, sweetie?" Hermione smiled.

Bee shook her head, her large eyes transfixed on the blond man who was staring at them, his mouth open.

Hermione followed her daughter's gaze and dropped Bee.

"No," she whispered. "This isn't- I'm not…"

Their gazes locked and Hermione felt a fire spread through her body.

A flush rose to her cheeks. "Draco?" she said faintly.

"Hermione," he replied.

Ron poked his head in. "You guys done?"

"Yes," Hermione said loudly, tearing her eyes away from him. "We're leaving."

She grabbed Bee who protested. "Mommy! I haven't got my wand!"

"Bee!" Hermione said sternly and the girl quieted. She walked out and Draco took two seconds to react, then ran out of the shop after her.

When he got onto the main street, she was gone.

She was gone once more, and he was left standing in the busy street, hollow and alone.

--

_She grabbed him. "You said you'd never leave me!" she screamed._

"_Hermione," he said helplessly, trying to break out of her grip. "I don't know, I can't stay- my time's running out. He will track me here and then he will find you. I cannot let him find you!"_

"_I will not let him take you away from me!" Hermione screamed._

"_Hermione, please, don't do this toyourself," he begged. "He will hurt you if you don't get away NOW! Please just go!"_

"_He can kill me for all I care; I won't let him take you away!" Hermione sobbed. _

"_I don't want to leave you either," he shouted fiercely into her face. "I don't! But that's better than having you dead!"_

_Hermione's sobs quieted. "Draco, I can't live without you," she said slowly._

"_Try," he said firmly. "Just please, try. I'll find a way, I'll find my way back to you, I swear."_

_He pulled her into a quick kiss, torturing her mouth with his. "I love you," he said, shaking her. "I love you."_

"_I'll wait for you, I will," she said loudly. "I'll wait for you," she shrieked to him, her last words to him as he broke off in a run._

--

Hermione sat on the sofa, her heart still thudding in her chest like it was never going to slow down.

It was him. It really had been him. In the flesh, so real, so… him, standing right there and she had ran away.

She had walked away when all she had been waiting for was for that fucking moment, she grabbed her hair in frustration. She was scared, she had to admit it. She just wasn't ready for it, it was too unexpected for her. She couldn't let Bee find out just yet. She just wasn't prepared for this.

Hermione had to be ready. She couldn't mess this up.

Further more, Ron had been there. A chill ran down her spine.

She shivered and rubbed her hands together. She groaned and leaned back on the chair. The house was deadly quiet and she was painfully alone- Ron was at work and Bee was at her parent's house.

She leaned forward and let her head hit the table with a dull thunk.

The doorbell rang and she dragged her feet to the door.

"Yes?" she said wearily and looked up. She screamed and slammed the door back shit, her hand clapped over her heart which was threatening to explode.

"Hermione! Open up!"

"Go _away_!" she screamed.

"Dammit, just open the fucking door!" he bellowed, pushing at the door so hard, she stumbled backwards and there he was, sweating and panting, blocking the doorway.

"Get out of my house," she said shakily.

"Hermione," Draco groaned.

The tears in her eyes trembled, and her vision swam. "Draco," she whimpered and a second later, she was in his arms.

He was whispering her name, over and over again, like a mantra.

"You can't do this to me, Draco," she said quietly. "You cannot leave me, then come back like this."

"You said you'd wait," he accused. "I promised to come back, didn't I?"

"I would have fucking waited until the end of time," Hermione glared up at him, spitting out the words. "If not for the fact that I was pregnant- I couldn't let a child grow up without a father. Who knows if you'd come back? I could wait, the baby couldn't, Draco."

"She's mine, isn't she?" he demanded. "That girl, your daughter, she's _ours,_ isn't she?"

"No, she's Ron's and mine," Hermione said shortly.

"You didn't sleep with him!" Draco shouted.

"Draco, don't you remember anything? I was never with you, in other people's eyes, you were single and a playboy and I was Ron Weasley's girl! All along while I was with you, you knew that I was with Ron. I might have loved you more, but I was still rightfully Ron's. Of course, I slept with him. Bee's ours," she insisted.

"Explain the hair," he said poisonously.

Hermione closed her eyes against his angry scowl. "It's from my side of the family."

There was a short silence as he regarded her in disbelief. She flinched, looking away.

"Hermione," Draco said brokenly, pulling her into his arms. "You have brown hair. You're not blonde."

"My grandma, she was," Hermione argued.

"Hermione, please," Draco shook her. "Stop lying to yourself, stop lying to me."

"I cannot let you take away Bee's family. She has known Ron and me as her parents," Hermione said. "You cannot barge in and mess with us."

"So it's true. I'm right, she is my daughter," Draco said, his eyes wide.

Hermione stared into his eyes- those amazing grey pools of silver that she had missed for so long. It seemed only yesterday that they were holding each other; yet it seemed so far away, so distant. She closed her eyes as he lowered his mouth to kiss her forehead.

"Draco, how could have ever thought she wasn't?" Hermione said, breaking the silence as she melted in his embrace.

--

"No," she said, pushing him away. "That's ridiculous. I cannot leave with you like that, what about Bee?"

"Come on, she's our daughter, of course she's coming," he rolled his eyes.

"Ron, what about Ron?" Hermione asked with her eyes wide.

His gaze hardened. "He has nothing to do with this. It's about me, you and _our _daughter."

"Ron," Hermione said quietly. "He was Bee's father all these years when you were gone. He loved her the way you couldn't have."

"Hermione, she's my daughter. He isn't her father," Draco said flatly.

"Then where were you?" Hermione countered.

"I was forced to go to America by my father, kept from ever seeing you again, locked in a room until I promised not to escape," Draco spat.

She was silent.

"My father died two months ago and I spent these two months settling legal things and the moment I was done, I came here in search of you, only to find out that you were already Mrs. Weasley," he sneered.

She slapped him.

"What the fuck?" he yelped.

"You know I didn't have a choice about it," she hissed. "If I had a choice I would have married you. Now you're blaming for wanting a family for our daughter, for marrying a man I know I could depend on and provide for our daughter? I married Ron for our daughter, not for myself."

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"You have to leave now," she stood up, holding the door open. "Out."

He walked out. "I'll come back for you."

She scoffed. "In what, five years?"

She slammed the door shut, her heart cracked open so that she could see for herself how empty she was.

* * *

thanks to all who reviewed (: I LOVE YOU GUYS- 

dgirlm, meenajon, get-to-the-point, mic-mac-girl, The-Legend-Begins--

thankyou(: i am ecstatic that you think this is good. well, i hope you continue thinking that way. x)

please continue to review, they really help me along.

-lissie


	5. Five: Meant To Be

Disclaimer: If only i owned these characters. That is ONE BIG FAT "if only" because i don't. Isn't that obvious?

* * *

**Perfect Mistake**

Five

Meant To Be

* * *

_Hermione whimpered and writhed underneath him with a kind of raw, animalistic passion, the fire inside her going into her head and wiping out everything inside besides thoughts of the gorgeous man above her._

_His name was a chant on her lips, the word becoming a habit as he moved within her, his grey eyes locked with hers._

"_Draco, faster," she pleaded, clutching him closer. _

_He complied and grunted out her name as he emptied himself inside her, listening to her crying out his name as he felt her go into spasm around him, bucking up to cling onto him desperately._

"_Hermione," he whispered, holding her in his arms, rolling over so she was atop him, lying on his chest, a shaking mess._

"_I don't know what this is," she admitted._

"_What is?" he asked._

"_The way you make me feel," she said simply._

_He was quiet._

"_Draco," she said hesitantly. "Do you think somehow, its right for us to feel this way?"_

"_It's the only way I can imagine feeling for you," he answered, smiling and she realized that once those words were out of his mouth, they were the ones she needed to hear the most._

"_Draco," she said slowly, trying to find the words to tell him how she really felt. _

"_I know," he said after a moment. _

_She paused, staring at him quizzically. _

"_I love you too," he said in a low voice._

_She started, slightly shocked, but settled into his embrace when it occurred to her that those were the words that she had been looking for all these while._

--

Draco grabbed the Oriental vase and hurled it across the room, relishing in the sound of it shattering into pieces against the wall.

He was this close, this fucking close to be with her again and she had to go and get all stubborn with him, again.

What else did he have to do to make her believe that he still loved her, if possible even more than before? What else did she want?

Shaking with anger, he pummeled his fist into the mirror hanging on the wall, watching as his image broke apart.

Warm, sticky blood trickled down his arm and he stood there, trying to reign in his emotions.

When he felt that he was calm enough not to take apart his house, he found a spare piece of parchment, sat down and began to write.

--

Hermione gave Bee a small tired smile. "Dinner," she said quietly, sliding the plate across the table to the spot in front of Bee.

"Mommy," she called out.

Hermione turned around. "Yes?"

"Where are you going?" Bee asked.

"To bed," Hermione answered.

"But it's too early to sleep," Bee protested, her eyes flicking over to the clock hanging on the wall that spoke plainly that it was way too early. She hadn't even had dinner. "You haven't even eaten," Bee added. "Aren't you hungry?

"Mommy's tired and I'm not hungry," Hermione said, offering Bee a weak smile. "Good night."

Bee watched as her mother walked into her room, her silhouette bent and curved with a kind of sorrow Bee had always known, the kind of raw need she associated with her mother that she couldn't quite place or name but that kind of dark and overwhelming need rolled of her mother in waves.

She wondered how her mother became this way. Was she always like this?

She turned to her food and found that she was suddenly not hungry anymore. She slid off the chair carefully, and padded across the hallway to stand at her mother's door, twisting the knob quietly and pushed the door open, silent as could be.

Bee peered through the crack and made out the shape of her mother in the dark, sitting on the bed, not yet asleep.

"Mommy," she whispered then shut the door once more, certain that grief had its own smell- just like her mother's bittersweet and musky smell.

--

Bee grinned up at her teacher, waving goodbye.

"Bridgette?"

She stopped, nearly falling over. She looked up and squeaked in surprise. It was that blond man from the wand shop.

"Hi," he bent down, smiling at her. "I'm Draco."

"I'm Bee," she said slowly. "How do you know me?"

"I'm your mother's friend," he answered.

"Oh," Bee smiled. "You know my mommy?"

"Yes, of course," he nodded. "Now Bee, will you do me a big favour? It's very important to me and I need you to help me do it."

"What?" she asked.

"I need you to pass this envelope to your mother and tell her that I asked you pass it to her and that-" He broke off and looked away.

"And?" Bee prompted, her eyes narrowing in curiosity.

"And I'm sorry, and that I hope that she can forgive me," he finished.

"Will this make my mommy sad?" she asked warily.

"No," he assured her. "It's a present; it'll make your mommy really happy."

"Ok," she held out her hand and took the envelope.

"Thank you," he bent down and pressed a kiss on Bee's forehead. "Give your mommy this kiss for me," he whispered and Bee giggled.

He smiled back. "I'll see you again, Bee."

"Bye," she waved as he walked away.

Bee slipped the envelope into her bag and waited for her mother to pick her up.

"Bee!"

She stood up and ran over to her mother. "Mommy!"

"Hello, sweetie, how was school today?" Hermione took Bee's hands and apparated them back home.

"Good," Bee said, pulling envelope out of her bag eagerly. "I got a present for you!"

"What's that?" Her mother smiled.

"A Mr. Draco asked me to give this to you," Bee grinned.

Hermione blanched. "What did he say?" she said cautiously, taking the envelope.

"Well, he says that he's sorry and he hopes that you can forgive him," Bee said quickly. She stood on tiptoe and beckoned her mother down. "Bend down, Mommy."

Hermione crouched down. "Yes?"

Bee pressed a kiss to her mother's forehead. Hermione laughed.

"He asked me to give this kiss to you," Bee giggled.

Hermione covered her face with her hands, trying to stop the tears.

"Why are you crying, Mommy? He said it was supposed to make you happy," Bee said.

"I am," Hermione said. "I am happy."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because," Hermione wiped her tears away and gave Bee a brilliant smile. "I'm so happy."

"Ok," Bee said.

"Hurry and go and take your bath now," Hermione mothered and watched her daughter take off into her room.

With trembling fingers, she tore the envelope open and unfolded the parchment inside, her heart warming at the sight of that familiar sloped handwriting.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I'm sorry I said things that made you sad. I take them back and I hope you can forgive me. You didn't deserve all the things I said._

_I loved you, Hermione, all these years when we were apart, and I still love you now. Please believe me. If you're not going to accept me this time, it's okay. I won't blame you. I only wish to give you my blessings and hope that you will be very happy._

_Someone once told me if you love something very much, let it go and if it comes back to you, it's for keeps._

_I'm letting you go, Hermione, because I love you._

_It hurts, but I love you more than I love myself._

_Draco._

Hermione tipped her head back, letting the letter fall from her fingers as she tried to get used to the thought that she wasn't his anymore.

If only the world could accept them. If only she was brave enough. If only they could stand up against the rest of the world.

But maybe they just weren't meant to be.

She brushed that thought away with a laugh- if they weren't meant to be, why was it that without him, she couldn't even think of herself as _alive_, that without him, she was empty, hollow and a ghost of herself. If they weren't meant to be, why was it she couldn't accept anyone else in her heart but him?

If they weren't meant to be like they were, why was it that she _loved _him so much even when she knew she shouldn't.

--

In the bathroom, Bee stood in the shower, wondering what kind of deep secrets her mother could be hiding.

She was five years old, but she, like her mother, was wise beyond her age. She could recognize the smell of grief, of well-kept secrets, of naked sorrow and of guilt, all of these smells she associated with her mother.

These smells, they don't go away- not even after you scrub at your skin, Bee mused. She rubbed soap all over her skin and wondered fleetingly what did she smell like?

She flicked the shower back on and yelped softly as the warm water poured over her. She giggled and blinked away the beads of water in her eyes.

Who was this blond man?

She squinted at the white tiles of the bathroom floor and tried to conjure up his face- he was clean shaven, and moved with the grace of a cat. He had hair so blond it was nearly silver, just like hers, piercing grey eyes and a knowing smile. He knew how to make her mother happy, something that Bee admired greatly.

She wanted to learn to make her mother smile and laugh like she did. She wanted to know what kind of special magic that blond man- Draco- had to make her mother smile.

How was it he was the only one who had that magic? Not even Daddy could do it, she thought.

Who was he? Bee thought again, puzzled, the questions stuck in her five year old brain and refused to go away.

Maybe she could ask him the next time he turned up, because she knew he would. Bee knew things like that sometimes, and she knew for sure he would turn up again.

She closed her eyes against the warm spray of water, brushing the locks of blond hair that plastered themselves onto her skin away.

* * *

A/N:

Once again, a big THANKYOU to those who reviewed (:

please review and let me kow how i can improve on this, as well as check out my other fics.

-lissie


	6. Six: Where Are You Now?

Disclaimer: DUH, i am not JKR, if i was, then draco and hermione would be already married (:

* * *

**Perfect Mistake**

Six

Where Are You Now?

* * *

Bee buckled her shoes carefully and smiled when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She knew he was coming.

"Hi," she chirped, grinning.

"Did you give your mommy the letter?" He asked.

She nodded proudly.

"Did she say anything?" He asked, trying to act like he didn't really care but Bee knew he did.

"She cried," Bee said.

He winced. "Damn," he muttered.

"But she said she was happy, then she smiled too," Bee offered and he relaxed.

"Who are you?" she asked and he stared at her.

"I'm Draco," he answered simply.

She shook her head emphatically, her hair slapping against her cheeks. "No, who are you?" she asked again.

Draco closed his eyes against the pain. "I am," he started. "Just Draco…"

Bee looked at him in disbelief. "How do you know my mommy?" she accused.

"We went to school together," Draco replied, sitting down next to his daughter.

"Really?" Bee perked up. "Were you in Gryffindor too?"

"Nah," he chuckled. "I was in Slytherin."

Bee narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure? My daddy and my mommy were good friends back in Hogwarts and daddy hates Slytherin, so how would my mommy know you?"

She's smart, Draco thought proudly, our baby, she's amazing. "Your mommy was different from your daddy, she doesn't hate all Slytherins."

Bee accepted that answer. "How do you make my mommy smile?"

Draco did a double take. "What?" he asked, frowning, wondering if he had heard correctly.

"How do you make my mommy smile? No one can make her smile like she did, not even me, not even daddy."

Draco looked away, shattering inside. _Hermione, how much have suffered these years?_ He drew a shuddering breath. "I don't know," he managed finally.

"Is it some kind of magic?" Bee asked curiously. "Do you have some kind of special magic that makes mommy happy? Can you teach me?"

Draco ached, inside and out. "Bee," he said softly.

Her face fell and she leaned into Draco. He stiffened slightly in shock before embracing his daughter. "I just want to make her happy," Bee said quietly.

"I know, so do I," Draco said.

"But you already do," Bee replied.

"Nah, that's not true," Draco watched as Bee wiggled out of his arms and get to her feet. "Where are you going?"

"No where," she said simply and stared at him intently. "Are you going anywhere?" she asked.

"No," he answered, smiling. "I'm not going anywhere."

Bee's face burst into a large smile. "Ok," she nodded.

She took his hand and pulled him onto his feet.

"Bee?" Hermione appeared, smiling. Her smile froze on her face when she took in the sight in front of her- Bee's small hand grasping tightly onto her father's large one. Inside, she exploded with all kinds of emotions.

"Hello, mommy!" Bee said, running over and dragging Draco along.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hi," Hermione whispered.

Bee beamed. "Mr. Draco says you went to Hogwarts together and he was from Slytherin!"

"I know," Hermione nodded, a small smile on her lips.

"Can he come home with us?" Bee asked.

Hermione winced and stared at Draco.

He grinned at her. "Am I invited?" he drawled, his eyes sparkling at her.

Hermione blushed. "Bee," she hissed. "Don't be silly."

"Please?" Bee begged.

Draco smirked at her and she felt shivers run down her spine. She ached to reach out and touch him, kiss him.

"Okay," she said softly and her heart sailed at how his face lit up at her agreement.

--

"Here," Hermione set a cup of tea in front of him.

"Thank you," Draco said. "Where's Ron?"

"Working, he won't be home until ten today," Hermione answered, sliding a plate of cookies to him as well.

"Mommy," Bee shouted.

"Yes?" Hermione turned around.

"I'm going to take a nap," she yelled.

"Okay," Hermione smiled.

Bee's bedroom door swung shut and Hermione realized that the both of them were alone.

"She's amazing," Draco looked at her.

"I know," she nodded. "Absolutely amazing," she agreed.

"She's ours," he admired. "It's no wonder she's so brilliant."

Hermione laughed and promptly slapped herself.

Draco's hand settled over hers. "Hermione," he said in a low voice. "It's alright."

"No," she disagreed. "It isn't."

"It isn't?" he asked before pressing his mouth to hers.

Hermione gasped, her lips parting and that resulted in his tongue slipping past to tangle with hers. She didn't want to touch him but instinct broke out over her, a massive wave, and she wrapped her arms around him. She fell into that familiar rhythm, nudging him closer urgently. The kiss was hungry, violent, a feast for what they had both been missing. It took less than moment for Hermione to come alive beneath him, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, pulling him closer, consuming him in a way that he had almost forgotten.

Draco was panting and shaking. "Hermione," he moaned into her mouth and she deepened the kiss. There was a crash as the cup of tea was spilt but none of them looked up or broke the kiss.

When he pulled away, only to take breath, she had melted into his arms, a beautiful mess.

"Draco," she murmured. "Is this how it used to be like?"

He was choked up, unable to speak. He met her eyes, speaking volumes, begging her with his eyes to _let him love her one more time_. She nodded slowly and led him into her bedroom.

He stood there, his heart in his hands and his mouth on hers once more, praying that she would take him for who he was, again, although he didn't deserve it.

_Forgive me, _he whimpered as she did things to him with her tongue that he'd been dreaming about for five years.

Hermione realized she had never forgotten how it was like to be right there with him, stark naked, their hands on each other's bodies- open and honest.

This was what I missed, she realized, tracing her way down his body with her lips. He bucked underneath her, moaning incoherent words of pure pleasure.

"Hermione," he said clearly, sounding strangled with emotions as he grabbed her by the shoulders and heaving himself up to stare down at her. "Hermione," he repeated, rolling her name around his tongue like it was piece of delicious candy.

"Draco," she answered, smiling.

He let his body tangle with hers, filling her to the brim with his love, and letting her wrap her love around him. He made love to her with so much passion the air around them buzzed with intensity and she let him love her the way he did.

"I missed you," he confessed hoarsely, desperately needing her to know this.

"I know," she silenced him. "I know."

"Ok," he breathed for her just like she cried for him.

He kissed her, licking the tears away from her face, moving inside her.

When he reached his peak, he was vaguely aware that he was crying out her name to the heavens. Hermione watched as he let go, shuddering and collapsing atop her. She felt her jerk away from her body, floating into an endless spiral of bliss as her body was claimed with waves of pleasure that she had never knew for years.

She lay limp, wide-eyed and exhausted in his arms, sweating and frail. He rolled off her to lie next to her. He propped himself up with an elbow, staring at her with a smile of his face.

"Oh my God," she whispered, eyes filled with wonder.

_How was it that right at that moment, breathless, tired and sweaty, she felt more full, happier and more loved than she had ever been?_

"I know," he said smugly.

"Shut up," she laughed, punching him in the gut.

He yelped. "Hermione," he bellowed, grinning, tackling her onto the bed, peppering kisses all over her face.

She squealed and laughed, squirming under him, begging to be released. "Draco, NO!" she cried out, giggling uncontrollably. "I'm sorry," she panted.

"You sure?" he grinned.

"YES!" she shouted and he stopped tickling her.

She sat up, scowling at him. "You're going to get it," she swore and his eyes widened in horror.

"Oops," he winced. "I shouldn't have done that right?"

"Too right you are," she smirked at him, pouncing atop him and proceeded to make him sorry.

--

_Hermione screamed until the pain passed._

"_Push, Hermione," the mediwitch called Holly urged. "Hermione, I need you to push, please!"_

"_NO!" she yelled. "I can't!"_

"_Hermione," Holly begged. "Your baby is almost here, please push!"_

"_Go away," Hermione screamed. "I don't want this right now!"_

_The door burst open and Hermione reacted violently, sitting up to see if he was here. Her face fell when she realized it was Ginny._

"_Where's he?" she demanded, almost hysterical as the contractions came once more._

"_Ron's almost here," Ginny said._

_I didn't mean Ron, Hermione thought desperately. I meant Draco, Draco where are you now?_

"_Hermione, please let's do this together," Ginny said quietly. _

"_I cannot do this, I'm not ready," Hermione shouted, her face contorted in pain._

"_Hermione, listen to me! Your baby is coming now, whether you like it or not," Ginny hollered in Hermione face. "Hermione!"_

_Hermione whimpered. "No," she whispered. _

"_One, two, three and we push together alright?" Ginny asked._

_Hermione looked into her face and her vision swam. She saw his handsome face looming over hers, replacing Ginny's and his grey eyes comforted her._

"_Draco?" she thought, her heart bursting in happiness._

"_Hermione," he said. "One, two, three and we push together alright?"_

_Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "Okay."_

_He smiled. "Okay. One," he counted and Hermione took a deep breath. "Two. Three."_

_Hermione pushed, screaming._

"_Good, that's brilliant," he encouraged. "One more alright? Push, Hermione, push!"_

_Hermione pushed, ignoring the pain, because Draco wanted her to push, he wanted their baby, so she was going to bring this baby out._

_She felt something slip out of her and she let go, falling away into darkness but not before Draco's face vanished to be replaced again with Ginny's._

"_No," she cried out before she fell away. Where are you now?_

--

"Draco, you have to go now," she said reluctantly.

"I know," he said, buttoning his shirt.

"I don't know," she said helplessly. "You know, about us?" she stared at him imploringly, hoping he could give her detailed and precise answers that could make that queasy feeling in her stomach go away.

"We'll be alright," he promised before apparating away, leaving Hermione standing in the middle of her bedroom, stunned.

Hermione took a few seconds to react and she hastily cast charms around the room to get rid of whatever evidence of their love.

She then stepped into the shower to try and remove his mark but gave up when she realized it wasn't going to work, because he was already within her.

"Mommy," Bee appeared at the doorway as she stepped out from the bathroom.

Hermione smiled at her daughter, dressed in pink pajamas and dragging a large teddy bear in one hand. "Yes, darling?"

"Does daddy know about Mr. Draco?" Bee asked quietly.

Hermione shook her head. "Let him be our little secret alright?"

Bee nodded quickly, smiling. "Okay."

"Promise," Hermione grinned.

"Promise," Bee smiled back, basking in her mother's happiness and for the first time, her mother smelt different- like chocolate, like something warm and spicy, something clean and creamy. Was this how happiness smelt like? Bee fell into her mother's arms, breathing in deeply, intoxicated.

* * *

Once again, thanks to all reviewers. you guys ROCK- x)

And once again,

please REVIEW!

you know i love you guys just for reading though but reviews are even better

-lissie


	7. Seven: Only Love After All

Disclaimer: Not mine, of course. Except Bee and the plot.

* * *

**Perfect Mistake**

Seven

Only Love After All

* * *

"Hello," Hermione greeted Ron warmly. 

"Hello, love," He said affectionately, kissing her cheek. He drew back, a small frown on his forehead.

"What's wrong?" Hermione's heart jumped into her throat.

"You smell good," Ron grinned and she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Of course," she said casually, smiling.

Ron looked vaguely surprised and grinned. "What's for dinner?" he asked as Hermione walked into the kitchen to heat up the leftovers.

"Daddy, you're back!" Bee raced out of her bedroom, dressed in her pajamas.

"Hey, why aren't you asleep?" Ron asked.

"I already slept in the afternoon so I'm not tired," Bee explained.

Hermione placed a bowl of spaghetti on the table. "Ron, your dinner," she called out.

--

Draco contemplated his next move, as he sat in front of the fireplace, his head in his hands.

She would hate him for this, he thought tiredly. She really would hate him. How many times had she said that she wanted her family to stay as it was?

Draco thought of Ronald Weasley with his hands on _his _Hermione and _his _daughter and scowled. He had to do this. This was his family not Weasley's.

He hesitated, thinking of how angry Hermione would be. He groaned, his head falling back into his hands.

Would she hate him? Would she really fight back if he tried?

No one could blame him for trying, he reasoned- besides, the only reason he was going to do this was that he loved Hermione and their baby. If his love was a crime, then he was guilty.

With a note of finality, he penned the letter and signed his name under it with a flourish, sending it off and stayed awake the whole night, bracing himself for her anger.

--

_Draco missed her, he craved her touch, her presence._

_He walked round and round the bedroom that was his prison, his palms splayed against the walls, looking for a way out- a way back to her arms._

"_Let me out," he shouted, banging against the door. "Father, please!"_

_He sank down to his knees, begging and pleading, something he had never done in his life. "Please," he shouted until his throat blistered and his eyes were swollen shut form crying._

"_Just let me go," he cried out over and over again, wondering why it was that his father thought loving was a crime._

_Loving her was the only thing he knew was right in his life, yet his father thought that was the biggest mistake of his life._

_Why was it that Lucius Malfoy couldn't see the way Hermione lit a fire in his otherwise cold heart? Why was it that he couldn't see how beautiful she was to Draco? _

_Draco fell asleep, a broken pile on the floor until the next morning, his father opened the door and stared down his son, a look of utter disappointment and anger on his face._

--

Hermione sent Bee off to school then sat down to have breakfast with Ron.

She laughed at Ron's jokes, feeling better than she had in a long time.

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Ron said, sliding off his chair.

Hermione peered to see who it was- it was a man they didn't know, in dark robes and holding a file.

"Excuse me, is this the Weasley residence?" he asked.

"Yes," Ron said. "What is this for?"

"I'm Kenneth Pickle," the man shook Ron's hand. "I'm a lawyer."

Hermione went to stand next to her husband and he looped a protective hand over her waist, mostly out of habit. "Lawyer?" she echoed. "What are you here for?"

"You must be Hermione Granger," the man said, looking at her intently.

"Yes I am, is there a problem?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"Yes, actually," Kenneth Pickle said. "It's about your daughter."

"What happened to Bee?" Ron said sharply.

"Her father is demanding for her custody," Kenneth Pickle said, shrugging and Hermione stumbled away from Ron, knocking her body against the wall, eyes wide in horror.

"I am her father," Ron argued.

"I think both you should make a trip to the courthouse now," Kenneth Pickle advised. "As well as get yourselves a lawyer. Good morning."

He apparated away and left the both of them standing in their house stunned.

Ron grabbed his wand, face tight and drawn. "Let's go now," he said tersely to Hermione, who could only nod dumbly and follow.

Hermione's mind was whirling. What was Draco trying to do?

She found herself face to face with very person she had been thinking about as they walked into Kenneth Pickle's office to demand an explanation.

He met her eyes, with an unreadable expression.

She shook with rage and tried to keep herself from lunging across to strangle him.

"Malfoy?" Ron said incredulously.

"Weasley," Draco said, standing up.

"What are you playing at this time?" Ron spat out.

"I'm not playing at anything, I just want back what you took from me," Draco said simply, his eyes flicking over to stare at Hermione.

"Fuck you, Malfoy," she managed, her hands curling into fists and she lashed out at him in anger.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted in shock, trying to restrain as his wife struck Draco Malfoy across the face repeatedly. She had never lost control like that before.

"Go to hell," she told him clearly, her face contorted in agony. "Go to _hell_!"

Draco closed his eyes against the pain, against the sight of her face, filled with hatred and anger. "Hermione," he pleaded quietly.

"Shut the fuck up," she said poisonously, struggling as Ron and Kenneth Pickle both pulled her away from Draco.

"Let go of her!" Draco snapped at Kenneth Pickle who obeyed quickly. "Don't touch her."

The lawyer sat down, pretending not to see or hear anything, rubbing at his temples.

"I don't need you to stand up for me, Malfoy," she said angrily.

His eyes darkened. "Fine," he said harshly. "Have it your way, _Granger_."

His words were like a slap that stung. Her last name sounded so foreign on his lips and she backed away, eyes wide.

"You know what?" Hermione said, her voice trembling. "I hate you. I hate you for what you're doing to me."

He flinched. "Come on, Hermione," he whispered.

"What's going on?" Ron shouted.

"Nothing!" Hermione and Draco both yelled back.

Ron narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "Hermione," he said dangerously. "You know what's happening, don't you?"

"Ron, I'm sorry, I don't-" she tried, reaching for him.

"Get away from me," he stepped away, eyes blazing. "Don't dare you touch me until you tell me what's going on!"

Hermione burst into tears, disgusted with herself.

"Hermione," Ron said firmly. "Tell me what's going on. Now."

"I… can't…" she managed, before knocking both men aside and dashing down the hallway to find a rubbish bin to throw up in.

When she looked up, shakily wiping her mouth on her sleeve, a camera flashed at her.

She started, screaming in shock and the number of people who had formed a barricade around her. "Go away!" she shouted at them.

"Mrs. Weasley, can you tell me why Mr. Draco Malfoy is claiming that yours and Mr. Ronald Weasley's daughter is his?" one woman said excitedly, her quill shivering in her hand, equally hungry for some sleaze just as she was.

"Go away," Hermione covered her face from the camera flashes, trying to knock her way out of the crowd but failing.

"Get the fuck out of here," someone shouted in a harsh voice.

"Mr. Malfoy," one reported cried out. "Can you tell us what's going on?"

"Who told you to come?" Draco spat. "Please get your sorry behinds out of this building or I'm calling the security on you."

The crowd dispersed, mumbling with displeasure and he handed her a tissue.

She batted his hand away. "Why? How?" she accused him.

"I needed more than this," He confessed. "I needed you and Bee. It's just that now I have nothing and I don't- I can't live without you," his voice broke and he pulled her into his arms, burying his head in her hair, breathing her in, letting the essence of her fill his lungs.

"It doesn't work this way, Draco," she said softly.

"Why the hell not, Hermione? Why is it that I'm the one who loves you and the one you love back, the one who fathered Bee, yet I'm the one who's fucking alone and empty-handed?" Draco asked bitterly.

"Get your hands off my wife!"

Draco whirled around to face whomever who had spoke and the moment he did, his head snapped back as Ron's fist connected with his jaw.

"Oh my God!" Hermione screamed as Ron grabbed Draco by the collar, punching him in to stomach. "Stop, please, just _stop_!"

Draco raised one leg and kneed Ron violently, before slumping against the wall, trying to keep his head from spinning.

"Oh my God," Hermione hyperventilated, eyes wide and dilated.

Ron groaned in pain. "Damn you, Malfoy," he hissed, straightening as he took another swing at the blond man.

Hermione screamed at the dull thunk as Draco's head was pushed back from the force of Ron's fist to knock against the wall. "_Ron_!" she shoved him away, tears welling in her throat. "Are you out of your mind?" she screamed, uncaring of the crowd that had gathered to watch the scene. "Get out of my sight NOW!"

She turned back to Draco, nearly passing out when she realized he was unconscious. "Get him to the hospital, now! Now!" she shrieked. "NOW!"

--

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" Ginny's quiet voice broke through Hermione's muddled thoughts.

Hermione looked up slowly, trying to register the face in front of her.

Ginny glanced at the unconscious Malfoy on the hospital bed. "Care to explain?" the redhead said lightly, sitting down next to her best friend.

Hermione shook her head helplessly. "Help me, Ginny," she pleaded, reaching out to her friend.

Ginny felt tears prick her eyes at the sight of Hermione's haunted brown eyes. "Hermione," she whispered. "Oh, Hermione, what have you done to yourself?"

"I don't know, I don't know anymore," Hermione admitted.

"Hermione," came a small groan from the bed and Hermione broke away from Ginny to dash to the bed, eyes intently surveying Draco's face to check for any signs of consciousness.

"Draco? Are you awake?" she asked hopefully.

Ginny's heart ached at the raw love that shined her in her best friend's eyes. "Hermione, he's the one you love, isn't he?" She asked, the question falling like a soft feather between them.

Hermione looked up at the ceiling for strength. "Ginny," she confessed. "He's been the only one all along."

The moment the words dropped past her lips, Hermione felt a kind of dull relief washing over her, cleansing her inside and out. "He's been the only one all along," she repeated, realization dawning on herself as she looked down at Draco, her tears falling from her cheeks to wet his face.

She felt a kind of lightness in her chest- like a great weight had been lifted away. What was there to feel guilty about? She asked herself as a smile graced her lips- it was only love afterall.

Ginny came to stand next to her, and placed an encouraging and comforting hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Ginny," Hermione said, closing her eyes, turning to face the redhead, wanting to explain, to apologize, because after all Ron _was_ her brother.

"I know," Ginny hushed her friend. "I understand."

Hermione relaxed because she knew Ginny meant what she said. "Good," Hermione whispered.

* * *

i am a right chapter factory aren't i? 

i hope you guys are happy with this (: i really enjoy writing this story

THANKS to all who reviewed. it means a lot really.

-lissie


	8. Eight: Already Fallen

Disclaimer: Not mine, need i say more?

* * *

**Perfect Mistake**

Eight

Already Fallen

* * *

"Hermione." 

Hermione winced and turned around from the kitchen counter, looking everywhere but at her husband's face. She had hoped and hoped that they wouldn't have to speak but she knew that would never be possible. She _did_ owe him an explanation.

"Hermione," he repeated. "Why?"

She finally gathered enough courage to look into Ron's blue eyes. "Why what?" she asked softly, her hand trembling as she fought to pour Bee a glass of milk without spilling anything

"Why did you do it?" He asked, sitting down and looking at her. "I'm all ears, you know?" he gave her a lopsided smile. "I swear I won't throw a tantrum or anything, I just want to know why."

"Ron," Hermione sat the glass of milk down on the table, along with a bowl of Honey Stars for Bee. "I'm sorry," she said honestly.

"I know," he said softly. "I am too. But still, I think I deserve an explanation, right?"

"Ron," she wondered how to start, where to start.

He fixed his eyes on her, waiting patiently as she sorted through endless memories.

"Ron," she started again, "I fell in love." She said simply, and somehow, that was the right way to start- because that was after all how it all started.

She fell in love.

--

_Hermione met him on a Friday night. The sky was literally sprinkled with stars and the moon was a yellow curve in the night sky._

_She was trying to fix her broken stiletto heel. She was trying to figure out which spell to use, all the while cursing Ginny for making her wear this darn heels._

_She looked around helplessly- she was going to be late for the date, she knew it. Ron was going to get impatient really soon, she cringed. _

_She uttered a foul word as she took her heel off, glaring at it, trying a gluing charm but instantly regretted as she stared the weird angle the heel had glued itself to the shoe._

"_Need help?"_

_She turned around, scowling._

"_Granger," he nodded, smiling._

"_Malfoy?" she said, surprised and bemused at the same time. _

"_Broken heel huh?" he asked, waving an arm at the shoe in her hand._

"_What does it look like? That I took of my heel in the middle of a road just to admire it?" she asked sarcastically._

_His smile grew wider. "Funny," he remarked dryly, taking the shoe from her. He inspected the heel and shook his head. "You have to send it back to the shop," he told her, passing it back._

"_Great, just brilliant," she muttered. "I need shoes!"_

"_Where you off to?" he asked._

"_A date with Ron, just down the street and a right turn later," she said._

"_Look, why don't you take my shoes and shrink them," he offered._

"_Are you serious?" she asked, laughing._

"_Absolutely," he grinned, slipping his feet out of his sneakers._

"_Sneakers huh?" she asked, kicking off her other heel and sliding her feet into the warmth of his sneakers._

_He shrugged. "May I ask why didn't you just apparate there?"_

"_I'm not supposed to apparate actually," Hermione said. "I'm sort of under medication and it's not safe to apparate."_

"_I see," he said. "Good luck on your date then."_

"_Wait, how are you getting back? And how am I going to return these-" she looked down at his sneakers which she had shrunk to fit her feet snugly. "-to you?"_

"_I'll apparate," he said simply. "And I'll find a way to get them back. I do want them back you know?" He smiled._

_With that, he disappeared, leaving a very amused and stunned Hermione standing in the middle of the street, wearing a black halter dress, with her hair done in an elegant French twist and make-up on, dressed to the nines- and with dark blue sneakers on her feet._

_Staring at her reflection in a shop window, she started to laugh._

--

"I met him when I was dating you," Hermione said. "I fell in love without knowing it. But when I realized what it was, I was already attached to you. It was just unspoken between us that our relationship was not to be brought out to the open- that I wanted to stay with you, and he wanted to keep his image as a playboy."

Hermione sighed. "Ron, I don't know how to say this you, really," she said awkwardly. "When I realized that I loved him, I tried to retreat, backtrack- but I couldn't, because I had already fallen to deep."

Ron closed his eyes. "Hermione, you lied to me," he whispered. "You used me. All these years, you used me."

"I know," she confessed. "God, I know, I hate myself, Ron- I hate myself so damn much."

"Sometimes," Ron looked up bitterly. "I hate you too."

Hermione reared back, shocked.

There was painfully silent moment between but it was repaired by Bee's appearance.

"Good morning," she declared, clambering up onto her chair and tucking into the breakfast her mother had prepared.

"Hello, darling," Ron kissed Bee's cheek. "I'm going to work now."

"Bye, Daddy," Bee chirped without looking up from her breakfast.

"Bye, sweetie," Ron stared at Hermione, a protective arm sliding around Bee in a hug as though reminding Hermione that Bee was his daughter.

Hermione closed her eyes in pain and did not open them again until Ron slammed the door shut.

"Mommy, why is Daddy so angry?" Bee asked.

"What?" Hermione asked. "Daddy isn't angry, love," she lied.

"He is," Bee insisted. "Why? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, Bee," Hermione said firmly.

"Mommy," Bee whined.

"Bee, please just eat your breakfast," Hermione said breathlessly. "And then we're going out."

"We're not going to school?" Bee asked in confusion.

"Sweetie, it's Saturday," Hermione said through gritted teeth.

"But where are we going?" Bee called after her mother as Hermione walked into her bedroom to change.

"Just eat!" Hermione yelled back and Bee faced her breakfast again, sulking.

--

"Why are we in the hospital, Mommy?" Bee said meekly, trying not to irritate her mother.

"We're going to visit someone," Hermione said quietly. "Be quiet alright? They are sick people here who need rest."

"Okay," Bee's voice dropped to a low whisper, barely heard.

Hermione laughed. "There's no need to whisper though, it's alright to talk."

Bee looked unconvinced, her lips sealing shut.

Hermione stopped in front of Draco's ward and pushed the door open.

What she least expect was him sitting up in bed, looking very grumpy.

"Draco!" she exclaimed. "They didn't tell me you were up."

"Mr. Draco!" Bee cried out, momentarily forgetting to keep quiet then winced, falling back to hiss again. "What happened to you?" she whispered.

"Why is she whispering?" Draco laughed, turning to Hermione.

"I told her to keep her voice down so that she wouldn't disturb anyone and she thought she had to whisper," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I've been up for an hour and there's nothing to do," he complained. "I am so glad you're here."

"Then what have you been doing for one hour?" Hermione asked curiously.

A devilish grin broke across his face. "Thinking about you and your talented tongue," he said, his eyes darkening.

Hermione flushed to the roots of her hair, a kind of awareness rising in her body, her senses narrowing in arousal.

"What does that mean?" Bee interrupted.

Draco and Hermione froze, realizing that Bee had heard his comment.

"Uh," Draco tried to correct his error. "I meant I was thinking about your mother spoke very well, she's very entertaining, you know?" he said.

Hermione grinned. "Of course I am."

"I'm sore," Draco complained again.

"How did you get hurt?" Bee asked.

Hermione spoke before he could. "He fell down."

Bee laughed. "Wow, aren't you clumsy, Mr. Draco."

Draco scowled. "Well, it was an accident."

Bee continued giggling.

"I'm stiff and I can't move my arm," he continued whining. "And my back hurts as well."

"What do you want?" Hermione said in exasperation. "A massage?"

"Well, that's a good idea," he grinned. "I'll take that option."

Her jaw popped open. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely," he answered.

They both fell silent and she knew that he was thinking about the sneaker incident too. She fought a smile. "Alright," she said lightly, running her palms over his back and pressing in circles.

Bee found the sofa and sat down with the book she had brought along, on simple charms and potions.

"Uh, that feels good," he whispered, leaning into her hands.

Hermione dropped her lips to his ear, unable to resist nibbling discreetly.

He grunted, twisting away, his skin flushed and his breathing erratic.

She moved away, sliding her hands to where his pants tented. He drew in a sharp breath.

"Holy shit," he moaned softly.

Hermione recoiled, remembering Bee was in the room. "Bee's here."

"Yes, I know," he looked at her as though she was stupid. "Why else do you think I'm still sitting here and not on top of you?"

"Because you are injured and shouldn't be doing anything that you have in your dirty mind," she said, moving off the bed, grinning.

He gaped at her, his eyes dark in arousal. "Hey," he hissed. "Get back here."

She shook her head, grinning wickedly at him- a grin that made a warm flush spread over Draco's body.

"Tease," he muttered, sulking.

She laughed and messed up his hair like he was a little boy. He whacked her hands away, leaning back to continue sulking, carefully pooling the blankets around his hips to hide the evidence of his arousal.

"I'll come back without Bee later," she promised. "Until then, you'd have to cope with that yourself."

He opened his mouth indignantly and then shut it, scowling at her. "You drive me nuts sometimes you know?" he said under his breath.

"Bye, Mr. Draco," Bee said brightly.

"Bye," he said, eyes still on Hermione. "You'd better keep that promise, sugar," he mouthed.

"I will," she mouthed back, grinning wickedly at him.

* * *

once again, THANKYOU to all reviewers (:

im really glad you guys like the way this fic is going and it means a LOT!

sori> sigh, i guess that just wasnt my best. i hope you'll still continue reading this though (: thanks

to everyone else who reviewed, your positive comments make me smile and they really give me drive to continue this story (: thankyou

and again, please review (:

-lissie


	9. Nine: Running Away

Disclaimer: Not mine, enough said.

* * *

**Perfect Mistake**

Nine

Running Away

* * *

"Mommy," Bee spoke as Hermione carefully trimmed her daughter's nails.

"Yes, love?" Hermione smiled.

"Do you like Mr. Draco?" Bee asked.

Hermione glanced up, a small smile curving her lips. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Of course I like, why else would I bother visiting him?"

"I mean do you like him like you like Daddy?" Bee asked.

Hermione understood what Bee meant. She was asking if Hermione loved Draco the way she was supposed to love Ron, in Bee's eyes.

"No," Hermione said, "I don't like Draco like I like your Daddy." It was the truth after all. She didn't love Draco like she loved Ron; it was two different kind of love completely. She couldn't explain that to Bee though, so she was just going to let this lie.

Bee sighed. "That's just too bad."

"Why is that too bad?" Hermione asked, making a face.

"Because he likes you," Bee said, looking at Hermione with an expression that clearly said _you should know._

"Well, I like him too," Hermione said quickly.

Bee huffed. "You do that on purpose, Mommy."

Hermione started to laugh. "What?" she exclaimed. "Bee, you go to bed right now!"

Bee climbed into her bed, grinning naughtily.

"Look, Daddy will be home really soon and I'm going out, so for five minutes you stay here and take care of yourself alright? You can take care of yourself right?" Hermione kissed the side of her daughter's face.

"Yes, Mommy," Bee said. "Where are you going?"

Hermione caught sight of Bee's knowing smile. "None of your business, young lady," she said haughtily, walking out. "Bye, sweetie," she called out as she grabbed her wand and apparated away.

When she pushed the door open to his ward, he was waiting for her, with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

She shut the door softly and smiled at him. "How are you?"

He snorted. "Absolutely amazing," he muttered.

She laughed, planting a kiss on his cheek. He turned his head so that he captured her lips roughly with his, dragging her down onto the bed.

"Draco," she protested, the word lost in the kiss.

Draco found his wand and quickly cast a silencing and locking spell on the door. The wand rolled out of his hand and clattered onto the floor unnoticed as he began to undress her, all the while making love to her with his mouth.

Her breath came in short pants as his fingers grazed her bare skin and his lips moved down to suckle at her neck.

He winced in pain as he tried to move into his usual position above her but was quickly stopped.

"No, you're hurt," she said firmly.

"What?" he groaned. "So we're going to stop here?"

"Nope," she grinned.

"Good," he sighed.

"I'm just going to be on top this time," she whispered, straddling him gracefully, making sure she didn't hurt him.

His eyes were locked onto her face as she bent down to kiss him full on the mouth.

--

"_I love you," Hermione said clearly. "See, it's easy."_

_He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, easy for you, but not for me…"_

"_Oh come on!" she laughed, "Three words-" she held up three fingers. "How hard is that?"_

"_Please? Isn't there another way?" He groaned. "I'll take you shopping? How about that? Let me off."_

"_Nope," Hermione said smugly. "Say it."_

_He growled, glaring at her. "You know I don't say _that!"

"_Now you do," Hermione grinned. "Draco! Repeat after me, I," she said slowly, giggling._

"_I," he sighed, rolling his eyes._

_She pressed a kiss to his jaw and his eyes fluttered close._

"_Love," she rolled the word around her tongue. His lips sealed closed stubbornly._

_Grinning, she moved her mouth to cover his and his lips parted instantly. "Love," she repeated, pulling away._

_He shook his head and made a move to kiss her again._

"_Uh-uh," she shook her head. "Say it."_

"_Hermione," he snarled. "You are mean and evil."_

"_Fine," she got to her feet, dusting off her clothes. "In that case, I shall go home."_

"_Oh come on," he leapt to his feet. "I haven't seen you in three weeks and you're going home? Do you know how long I have been waiting for this?"_

"_As long as I have," she said loftily, putting on her heels._

"_Hermione!" he yelped. "I haven't even had a good snog yet, much less a good-"_

_She threw him a dirty look. "Language, Draco."_

"_I know you don't mind," he grinned. "A little dirty talk doesn't hurt."_

"_Goodbye," she said pointedly, wrenching the door open and walking out._

_He stood there, watching as the door swung shut and the click of her heels fading away as she walked away._

"_Merlin, I didn't know you were serious!" he growled, pulling his shoes on quickly and racing after her._

"_Dammit, where are you?" he said under his breath, looking around, wondering which way she had gone._

"_Looking for something?" a smug voice said._

_Hermione was standing on the steps, grinning at him._

_He rolled his eyes. "Damn you."_

"_Draco," she said, raising her eyebrows._

_Draco scowled at her. "Sometimes I can't stand you."_

"_Same here," she snorted, crossing her arms._

"_You know I didn't mean that," he said quickly, wincing._

_She looked away. "How would I know? It's not like you love me right?"_

_He groaned. "You just have to hear that, don't you? Does it even matter if I say it?"_

_She grabbed his by the elbow and led him back into his apartment. She pressed him against the wall and kissed him._

"_I'll help you along then," she said breathlessly. "A kiss for every time you say it. Does that make it easier?"_

_He crushed his mouth to hers. "I love you," he said into her mouth and she started to kick off her heels._

_He grabbed her by the hips, lifting her up easily to sit on the table. _

"_I love you too," she said hoarsely._

--

Harry and Ginny exchanged pained looks.

Ron was sitting alone on the sofa, sulking like he had been doing for the entire day.

Harry and Ginny had invited Ron, Hermione and Bee of course, then all the Weasleys (not Percy of course, because they didn't care and he felt the same way) for lunch at their house, hoping to make things better, but so far, Hermione and Bee still hadn't arrived.

Fred and George were tucking into the food while discussing their newest inventions with Bill. Charlie was snogging his newest muse, a girl called Carla, in one corner of the room.

Harry spooned salad onto Ginny's plate. "Stop staring at the door and eat. Hermione will turn up; she promised she would come, remember?"

Ginny sighed and speared a potato. "Harry, I really don't know. It's Ron and then it's Hermione."

"I'm in the same boat here all right? They are both my best friends," he muttered.

Ginny glanced nervously at the door. "I hope she's on her way. I told her twelve, and it's nearly one. Do you think something happened to her?"

"She'll be here soon, maybe something cropped up with Bee last minute. If Hermione's late, she'll have a good reason," Harry said.

There was a knock on the door and Bee's familiar laughter floated through the door.

Ginny leapt out of her chair and threw the door open. "Why are you late?" Ginny demanded, grinning in relief.

"We were at the hospital," Bee said brightly.

Ginny glanced quickly at Hermione's face then at Ron who had stood up to pick Bee up. "I see," Ginny said and then changed the subject. "Guess what?" she said brightly. "I made salad today!"

"Let me try some," Hermione said eagerly. "You've been talking about getting down and really doing some cooking but this is the first time you really kept that promise," she laughed.

"Are you going to take some back to-" Bee started saying loudly then broke off when she remembered that Draco was a secret between her mother and her.

"What did you say, Bee?" Ron asked with his eyes fixed on Hermione, who had frozen mid-bite.

"I meant whether we're going to take some back home," Bee said, trying to correct her slip.

Ron surveyed his daughter carefully, and then stared coldly at his wife.

"Come on, Bee," Hermione said, waving her daughter over. "Try some."

Bee ran over to her mother, missing the cold exchange between her parents.

Hermione clutched Bee to her side protectively, spooning some salad into her daughter's open mouth. _Don't you try anything silly, Ron, Bee's my baby. _She shivered at the thought of the father Bee had always known running away with her in tow, poisoning Bee's mind with words about Hermione and Draco until Bee learnt to hate them.

She shuddered and breathed deeply to clear her fears. "It'll be okay," she whispered, only to reassure herself.

--

She tried to convince herself that she knew this was coming when she felt a hand grab her elbow.

Her heart pumped with fear. Right now, she didn't know what to expect, from anyone.

Ron stepped in front of her.

Hermione mentally calculated her chances of winning a fight with Ron and winced inwardly when she came up with barely more than zero. Would he hit her? She studied his face- an empty canvas, void of any expression.

"Don't you dare that Bee to that man," he said, his voice low and dangerous. He had never spoken in this way to her before, she thought, trembling. Her wand was lying on the dining table.

She could smell the alcohol on his breath. "Ron, have you been drinking too much?" her voice wavered, trying to move away from him, in the direction of her wand.

"I am not drunk," he hissed. "If I ever see you take Bee to see that man, I will take her away."

"No, you can't," Hermione spat.

"Try me," Ron snarled. "She's our daughter, my daughter," he grounded each word out, hard and brittle.

"Ron," Hermione protested, her mind in a whirl- three more steps and she'd make it to her wand, and then she would be safe. She could beat Ron in a duel anytime, but in a fist fight, she didn't even have a chance.

She took one step, pretending she was backing away in fright. "No, please don't hurt me, Ron," she whimpered.

He looked triumphant at her sign of fear and leaned closer. "Listen to me, I won't hurt you so long as you don't try anything funny. We'll be the same as we always did, is that alright, Hermione?" he asked, his voice lathered with hostility.

"Yes, Ron, Yes, just don't hurt me or Bee, please," she started to cry, squeezing tears out of her eyes. Another step, disguised as a flinch.

All she needed was one more step, she prayed with all her heart he wouldn't see what she was trying to do.

"Ron, we'll be the same," she said shakily. "Okay? I won't take Bee away, we'll be a family."

"Yes," he looked satisfied. "Now go and pour me a cup of water."

She couldn't believe her luck as he went to sit in the living room. How could she have gotten off so easily? She grabbed her wand, went into the kitchen and poured him a glass of water. She whispered a small spell, and a tasteless liquid fell into the glass.

She hoped this would work, or he would be on the receiving on one of her curses or hexes.

"Here," she said meekly, handing him the glass.

He was half-drunk and gulped down the water. "Good girl," he slurred. "Now go to bed," he said. After a second, his faced screwed up and he fell unconscious.

It worked. Hermione took her spell and casted a Petrificus Totalus on him, binding him and snapped his wand in half. Hermione waved her wand, muttering a packing spell, and some of Bee and her essentials packed themselves neatly in a suitcase. She scooped a sleeping Bee into her arms, grabbed her suitcase and apparated away, her pulse racing and her mind blank execpt for one though-

she had to run away.

* * *

A/N:

sorry for the late update, but things have been pretty hectic lately and i have been insanely busy. but anyway, i hope this chapter is up to your expectations and if it isn't, please forgive me, because this was written bit by bit amidst my messed up life. (:

please review!

-lissie


	10. Ten: Sacrifice

Disclaimer: Not mine. Would JKR actually let draco and hermione do this?

* * *

**Perfect Mistake**

Ten

Sacrifice

* * *

_Hermione always imagined herself to be the most beautiful on her wedding day. Honestly, which girl didn't?_

_Her gown was white (of course) with lace and ruffles, very classic- simple and beautiful. Everything was exactly as she wanted, as she wished for- the flowers, the gown, the church- everything was impeccable, perfect._

_She was a radiant and gorgeous bride, the place was beautifully decorated, all the guests were chatting happily, the whole wedding was what she wanted, all but the groom._

_Ron was grinning and shaking Neville's hand, looking very proud and eager._

_Hermione swallowed, her hand straying over her stomach. She was going to show soon, by the end of the month. She grimaced, if not for this child, she would not be wearing this gown, ready to give her hand to this groom. Somehow, this baby served as a comfort to her, her sole living link to him. This baby was part of them- their love, evidence of their love and passion._

_She was going to love this baby, with all of her heart, and no matter what, she was going to protect her child._

"_Congrats, Hermione," Luna pulled Hermione into a hug. "You are a really lucky girl," she smiled._

"_Thanks," Hermione smiled serenely. "And thanks for coming."_

"_You look fantastic," Luna grinned. _

"_So do you," Hermione laughed. She couldn't believe that she was making small talk, like everything was okay- like this was not the day she was going to hand herself over to lifetime of misery._

_This was something she had to do, there was no choice, if she loved this baby, this was what she had to do- and she loved this baby._

--

Crying and trembling, Hermione tumbled into Draco's ward.

He had been sleeping but at the sound of his door flying open, being a light sleeper, he sat up.

When he saw her, he looked shocked. "Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, one glance taking in her pale face that was streaked with tears, her shaking hands that were struggling with Bee and the suitcase's weight, her messy hair and haunted eyes.

"What happened?" he got out of the bed and moved to her side. After a round of healing charms and potions, he was already able to move around easily. One more day, the mediwitch had promised, and he'd be free and good as new.

"I am so scared," she whispered, dropping Bee onto the sofa, where she continued sleeping soundly. "Ron, he threatened to take Bee away if I ever took her to see you and I couldn't risk him hurting Bee," Hermione choked out an explanation. "I gave him a sleeping potion and then gave him the full body bind. I think he'll stay that way until he wakes up and finds himself unable to move, and well, I don't know how he'll go from there."

"Hermione," Draco sighed. "It'll be okay, I'll keep you safe. I'll be out of this place tomorrow first thing in the morning, I'll take you and Bee to the Manor and I'll never let you out of my side. If possible, I'll help you get a restraining order, and I swear, I will not let him touch you or Bee or I'll kill him."

Hermione fell into his arms, shaking and shivering, but more safe then she'd ever felt in her life.

She trusted him, she realized, she would entrust herself and Bee to him, because she was sure that he loved the both of them more than he loved himself, the way she loved Draco and Bee too.

She transfigured the sofa Bee was sleeping on into a bed and climbed on, falling asleep next to her daughter.

Draco watched them for a moment, before settling back into bed.

--

Ginny was the first one in the ward that morning as Draco was getting ready to go.

"Hermione, really, was it necessary?" Ginny asked hotly. "Ron hasn't even regained consciousness!"

Draco scowled at the redhead. "Really, Ginny, is it necessary for you to walk into my ward and start scolding Hermione who just got the fright of her life, thanks to your brother?"

Ginny digested his words, her scowl fading, then her eyes widened. "What exactly happened?" she demanded.

Hermione hushed her, gesturing to Bee who was still sleeping soundly. "We'll talk outside. Draco, watch Bee, will you?" She led Ginny outside.

Ginny looked at her expectantly.

"Ron was slightly drunk and he was angry with me, he threatened to take Bee away from me if I ever take be to see Draco. He was on the verge of hitting me and I didn't have my wand, so I pretended to be scared and he let me go to pour him a drink. I added a sleeping potion and casted the full body bind on him, less he come after me. I packed a suitcase and apparated me and Bee here. I am not going back home, Ginny, he'll never forgive me." Hermione shook her head.

"So where are you going to go from here?" Ginny asked.

"I'll be taking Bee and moving to Draco's house," Hermione answered. "I'll do anything to keep Bee safe, you know that, Gin."

"I don't blame you for this," Ginny said, sighing. "I just don't like the way things are."

"Do you think I do?" Hermione asked wearily. "I'm tired, Ginny, I'm really tired."

"Are you girls done?" Draco poked his head round the door. "Bee's awake and asking for you," he told Hermione.

Hermione rushed in to her daughter's side. "Morning, baby," she said, smiling brightly.

"Why are we here?" Bee asked blearily.

"Oh, we're going on a holiday," Hermione fibbed.

"Really?" Bee asked with her eyes wide in excitement. "Where?"

"We're going somewhere secret," Hermione whispered, winking.

Bee bounced up and down in glee. "Who's going with us, Mommy?"

"Daddy's busy so I got Draco to go with us, how's that?" Hermione asked.

Bee grinned. "Hello, Mr. Draco," she said cheerfully. "I see you're better."

Draco grinned. "See I got our suitcases packed," he pointed at the suitcase. "You ready to go on an adventure?"

"YES!" Bee screamed, bounding in his arms, giggling.

Ginny watched the three of them, admiring the sheer beauty of the beauty they made, and backed out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her and she knew that they wouldn't realize that she had left, she thought with a small private smile on her face.

--

Draco had gotten Malfoy Manor cleaned up the second he returned to London. A troop of house elves worked day and night to give the whole manor a make over, the attic was piled full of dark materials and things Draco wanted to lock up and never see again.

He told Hermione that as they apparated into the front lawn on the manor. Bee let out a scream of delight at all the room she had to run, and proceeded to run headlong into a flock of grazing birds.

"Why don't you donate them to the ministry or something? Get rid of them for a good cause," Hermione suggested.

"Good idea," he said. "Why didn't I think of that? All that stuff is just taking up room in my attic.'

"So what did you do to the manor?" Hermione asked, keeping an eyes of a running Bee.

"Clean up the whole place, throw out most of the furniture and got new ones," Draco shrugged.

Hermione shouted Bee's name. "Bee!" she called out. "Get back here, we're going in!"

"Are we going to live here, Mommy?" Bee asked breathlessly.

"DO you want to?" Hermione asked.

"Yes! It's prettier than our house!" Bee said.

"Of course," Draco swelled with pride.

They climbed the steps onto the porch and Draco pushed the door open, grinning.

Hermione gasped. The inside of the manor was bright and sun-lit. The drapes were all pulled open, full-length windows letting the light stream in.

"Wow," Hermione said in awe. "It's lovely."

"I know," Draco said smugly. "This way, I'll show you guys around."

--

Bee watched the exchange her mother and Draco. Bee was giddy with that fresh, crispy sweet smell in the air.

They bantered and bickered, like little children and Bee tried to remember the last time her mother had _giggled _or _blushed_. Her mother's cheeks were tinted with pink and her eyes sparkled.

Bee might only be five, but she knew that friends did not touch each other the way her mother and Draco touched each other. They certainly did not let their hands linger on each other's arms. If they were only just friends, Draco would not have let his hand stray to the small of her back and settle there, his thumb rubbing small comforting circles. Her mother did not push him away, Bee noted.

She pretended to return to the book she was reading, all the while watching Draco and her mother.

Her mother ducked her head, grinning widely at something Draco whispered into her ear and Bee's eyes widened as Draco let his lips brush the side of her face and her mother tilt her head so their mouths met, however briefly.

A burst of smell hit Bee in the face- something like milk and honey, like cotton candy and something spicy.

She heard her mother's laughter and she turned to the window, where an owl was tapping its beak urgently on the glass.

"Mommy, there's an owl!" Bee shouted.

"Open the window and let it in, sweetie," Hermione smiled.

Bee slid the window open and the bird flew in, flapping its wings noisily. Something closed around her waist and she screamed in alarm, before her vision went black. The last thing she heard was her mother's cry.

* * *

A/N:

Thanks to all who reviewed! Those comments really keep me going and i'm halfway through the next chapter which should be up pretty soon (:

Please review! 3

-lissie


	11. Eleven: Painted Over

Disclaimer: JKR's, not mine.

* * *

**Perfect Mistake**

Eleven

Painted Over

* * *

"Oh my God," Hermione repeated, pacing the room. "How did that happen?"

"Hermione, please," Draco caught her elbow and she tugged her arm away. "I'm going to find her," he said, looking into her eyes. "I swear," he emphasized and something dark and haunted in her eyes faded away.

"I need her back," Hermione said numbly, leaning into his embrace, resting her cheek against his chest. "I want her back now."

"I know, baby," he whispered, rubbing comforting circles on her back, while his heart secretly hammered in his chest as his mind spun, playing out painful scenes of what could be happening. He could be doing something to his baby- his and Hermione's baby, their baby, he shook those thoughts away, steeling himself. Hermione needed him now, he couldn't fall apart in front of her when he knew she so desperately needed him for support now.

She shuddered in his arms. "Are they going to find her?" she asked quietly, in a small voice, like a frightened child in a thunderstorm. He promised that he'd never let her come to harm, and never let her let her be unhappy. He wanted so badly to erase the worry from her beautiful face.

"Yes, they will, he won't be able to go far, and the ministry will track him down, they promised me they'd get her back in less than a day," Draco reassured her. "Let's get you in the shower, okay? You're a mess," he said affectionately and she let him lead her back into the room.

He got the shower running and they got in together, the glass shower walls boxing in the masked fear and worry they kept hidden from each other. The tension was magnified and the pain multiplied as they faced each other, the water splattering on bare skin.

Their gazes met, and breathing became something that they had to consciously remember to do. Their fingers entwined and somehow, they just knew that the other person was imagining what could happen to their baby as well.

After a long time, she leaned into him, pressing her mouth to his wet face, holding him close to her. Somehow, she was comforted that when she kissed him, she tasted something salty that was not her own.

--

"_He took her and ran, Ginny."_ The words spun and whirled in Ginny's head, her heart pounding out a rhythm that sounded in her head.

"Harry," she said breathlessly, grabbing him firmly by the shoulders, shaking him to attention. "Something happened."

Harry's eyes darkened in alarm. "What?"

"Ron took Bee and he ran," Ginny said urgently. "He _kidnapped _her from Hermione, Harry, she's frantic now. We have to do something."

"How the hell did that happen?" Harry yelled, worry creasing his features.

"Ron snuck out of the hospital and somehow found out that Hermione and Bee were at Malfoy Manor, by some stroke of luck got onto the grounds, took Bee and ran. Hermione has already alerted the ministry, Harry, they're tracking Ron down. We need to find him first," she said. "He will get into trouble if they catch him, Harry. Hermione just wants Bee back, she won't hold it against him, much less turn him over to the ministry. If we can get Bee back, Ron won't get caught, Harry. We have to go now!"

Harry grabbed his wand. "Track him, now," he said.

--

"_You know what?" she shouted furiously, pulling her arm away from his grip so fast he was thrown off balance. He braced himself against the wall to regain his balance._

_She didn't wait for him to answer. "You know what?" she repeated. "Fuck you," she hissed, the girl who hardly cursed. "Fuck you and the high horse you ride on, Draco Malfoy."_

"_Come on, Hermione," he pleaded._

"_Just get out of my sight," she said through gritted teeth._

"_Hermione," he stumbled towards her. "Listen to me, I'm sorry."_

"_Which part of get out of my sight do you not understand?" she asked coldly._

"_Hermione, please," he said, his eyes sweeping across her face desperately searching for a sign of forgiveness. _

"_If I'm not good enough for you, so be it, I don't see a loss," she stepped away from him._

_He watched her walk out of the door, and out of his life, his heart in his hands. "Hermione!" he shouted after her._

_He lurched forward involuntarily, falling onto his hands and knees, the taste of her name on his lips and his fists clenched so hard his knuckles were white._

_The next day, she walked into her apartment, dark rings under her swollen eyes, and was greeted by a sight she would never forget for the rest of her life. _

_The entire living room was draped with balloons and ribbons. He was standing right there, looking as terrible as she felt. _

"_Hermione," he whispered, his fingers closing around the edge of the white cloth that was covering the wall. She met his eyes, and suddenly an ache she wasn't aware of throbbed through her like a forest fire. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw his hand pull and the entire white cloth fell away._

_She clapped her hands across her mouth, tears forming in her eyes._

_He opened his arms, asking for forgiveness, asking for love, asking for another chance, asking, she realized, for the only things she could give him._

_She came into his arms, sobbing so hard it was hard to breathe. _

_The wall was painted with words- I will fix you, I will protect you, and I will love you until the day I die- I'm sorry. That wouldn't have been a big deal, had each alphabet not been formed with smaller strings of words- forgive me. It must have taken him hours, since it was obviously hand written, judging by the inconsistency of the size of words._

_He promised her to fix her, to protect and to love her. _

_And at that moment, she believed him, because only then, could she have lived._

_His hands were stained with the red paint he had used to paint the wall when he touched her face, leaving a red hand print, but she didn't care, he could mark her for all she cared, after all, she was already his._

--

Bee smiled at her father. "Daddy, where are you taking me to?" she asked, bouncing on the bed eagerly. "Are we going on an adventure?" she shouted.

Ron brushed the hair away from his daughter's face, cupping her cheek his one hand lovingly. "Baby, I'm taking you away from your Mommy," he said tenderly.

Bee shook her head, eyes widening. "But Daddy, I don't want you to take me away from Mommy!"

"But I have to," he said sadly.

"Daddy, no!" she yanked away as he reached for her. "Take me back to Mommy!"

Something in his eyes changed and the loving smile became a ruthless sneer. "Bee," he said in a low warning voice. "Be a good girl and listen to Daddy."

"Daddy, no," she whimpered. "I want to go back to Mommy."

His arms closed around her, and he smothered her with his hand. He reached for his wand and silenced the struggling girl with a stunning spell. "I'm going to use you," he said softly. "I'm sorry, baby, but I have to do this. You're the only thing I have that Draco Malfoy doesn't have yet."

Bee fell unconscious in his arms, her head lolling about, the sun reflecting off that treacherous blonde hair.

His hands curled into fists and a vein throbbed dangerously in the temple as his world fell away, leaving only her disgusting blonde hair, the one that blatantly branded her as Draco Malfoy's daughter. He dropped her on the bed. In a frenzy, he turned over the entire motel room looking for a pair of scissors. Finally, finding none, he reached into his bag for his shaver, wondering why he hadn't thought of this earlier.

Staring down at the girl he used to think was his daughter, he held in one hand the razor and in the other her head.

He did not let himself think twice when he scraped the first lock of silver blonde hair off Bee's head. "I'm going to make you mine again," he whispered, watching the hair fall onto the carpet with triumph.

--

"This way," Ginny said, weaving in and out of the crowd. She could feel Harry's protective hand on her waist and she smiled inwardly.

"Is it this one?" Harry asked, stopping in front of the dingy motel.

"Do the spell again," Ginny said.

Harry muttered the spell and his wand spun on his outstretched palm. After a few seconds, it settled with its tip pointing towards the front door of the motel they were standing in front of. He nodded at Ginny and they burst into the motel.

"Sir," Ginny said breathlessly. "Did a tall man with red hair bring a young girl with blonde hair here?"

"Yes, Miss, just about an hour ago," the old skinny man behind the counter peered at them through the thick lenses of his spectacles. "Is there anything you need?"

Harry exchanged a look with Ginny and then set his jaw. "I'm an Auror, my name is Harry Potter and I need you to give me the key to their room now."

The old man's eyes widened behind his lenses and he leaned forward to study Harry. Harry sighed in impatience, pushing his fringe upwards so that the old man could see clearly the scar that branded him.

The old man hastened to obey his request and in three seconds, the key to Ron's motel room was clutched in Ginny's fist. They raced up the stairs to room 57, then Ginny slipped the key into the lock.

When she wrenched the door open, there was a loud curse.

"Fuck," Ron stared at her. "Ginny?"

"Ron," Ginny whispered, falling into her brother's arms.

Harry clapped a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Why did you do it, mate?" Harry asked hoarsely. "You're lucky we found you first. The ministry is on your trail, we have to get out of here."

"I can't, you have to let me go, Harry," Ron backed away. He grabbed Bee from the bed, where she was still unconscious.

"What did you do?" Ginny stared at him. "What do you want?"

"I can't give her back to Malfoy," Ron said wildly. "I can't."

"Ron!" Harry shouted. "Listen to me, give Bee to me, it'll be okay."

"No!" Ron shouted, trying to barge between the two of them and make it to the open door.

Ginny pushed him backwards. "I'm trying to save you, Ron, why are you doing this?" Ginny asked, pain evident in her eyes.

Ron shook his head sadly. "I'm already dead, Ginny," he said quietly. "I just want Malfoy that son of a bitch to die with me." He clenched his jaw. "If you don't move aside, don't blame me for what I might do."

Harry sighed, raking a hand through his messy hair. "Just go," he moved aside.

Ginny gaped at him. "Harry!" she hissed, horrified. "We can't- we're going to ruin him, Harry!"

Ron met Harry's eyes. "Thanks," he said.

Harry nodded and Ron made for the door. There was a flash of red light. Ginny shielded her eyes and when she reopened her eyes, Ron was lying unconscious on the floor with Bee beside him. Harry was beside her, his wand trained on Ron's back, looking so guilty and so broken, it was all she could do not to take him in her arms.

"It's alright, it was the right thing to do," she told him tenderly.

Harry nodded tiredly. "I know," he said heavily. "Let's get out of here."

Ginny levitated Ron up and before she apparated the both of them away after Harry and Bee, she pressed a gentle hand to her brother's cheek. "Come on, Ron," she said lightly. "We're going home."

* * *

A/N:

I hope this chapter was satisfactory (:

please review!

-lissie


	12. Twelve: Bruised

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

**Perfect Mistake**

Twelve

Bruised

* * *

"Oh God!" Hermione screamed when Harry appeared in her bedroom, cradling her baby in his arms.

She rushed forward, a bundle of energy at the sight of her baby. "Bee!" she cried out and snatched her out of Harry's arms.

"What happened to her?" she said in shock, moving her hand over Bee's freshly shaven head.

"Ginny's taking Ron home," Harry said quietly. "Don't hate him, please?"

"I can't, Harry, I will never be able to hate Ron," Hermione confessed. "I'm the one who deserves his hatred."

"He loves you too much to hate you," Harry said, cupping her face, his eyes locked onto her face.

Before she could say anything more, he disappeared with a pop.

"Draco! Bee's back," she screamed.

It took less than five seconds for him to race to her room, and then collapse next to her. "Her hair," he said, twisting to face Hermione, his thumb brushing what's left of her hair.

"Ron," she said quietly.

"Enervate," Draco said, pointing his wand at Bee's chest.

"Mommy," Bee whispered, her eyes focusing on her mother's loving face before a glass of water was pushed to her chapped lips. She drank greedily and then she slept.

"Draco," Hermione rested her hand on his arm as he fed the dreamless sleep potion to their daughter with all the care in the world.

He looked up at her. "Yes?"

"You'd have been a good father," she said; a priceless gift.

He smiled at her. "She turned out perfect after all," he said; giving her one right back.

She closed her eyes and felt him wrap his love around her once more.

--

_After they made love for the first time, Hermione stared up at the ceiling, remembering how he made her cry out when his fingers raked the insides of her thighs, how she felt as though her very blood was pulling her towards him. _

_He was beside her, his eyes closed._

"_Draco," she asked, propping herself up with her elbow and studied him._

_His eyelashes fluttered open and his grey eyes focused on her face. "Yes?" he asked._

"_Have we done that before?" she asked, smiling._

"_No," he frowned. _

"_Good," she laughed, moulding her body against his. "Because I didn't think I'd have forgotten."_

_Her hands danced over his body like butterflies, and her tongue trailed kisses down his jaw. He closed his eyes and tried to think of a time when he'd been this close to heaven and that was the last thought he had before his brain shut down._

_When they made love for the second time, Hermione thought, it was more than perfect, it was a harmony, it was two pieces of a puzzle coming together, it was them falling in sync next to each other, it was them falling in love all over again._

--

Bee awoke to the sound of her mother's laughter. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and then stared at the sight in front of her.

Draco had his hands clasped on either sides of Hermione's face, his mouth covering hers. Hermione felt her heart start to beat in place she thought she had forgotten- behind her eyes, at the base of her throat, in the swell of her chest and between her legs.

"Mommy?"

Hermione wrenched away and covered her mouth. "Bee, baby," she said comfortingly. "It was a dream."

Behind her, Draco groaned. "Oh, Merlin," he muttered.

"It's alright," Hermione soothed, kissing her daughter, trying to erase the sight of her mother kissing another man she didn't know as her father from Bee's mind.

"Mommy, I'm hungry," Bee proclaimed.

"Of course, darling, I'll go and make something for you to eat, I'll be up in a moment," Hermione smiled, bright as sunshine.

She disappeared down the stairs.

Bee turned to stare at Draco.

"Listen," Draco started. "It was an accident."

One look and he knew she wasn't buying it.

"It won't happen again," he tried again.

Bee narrowed her eyes. "Liar," she accused.

"Excuse me?" Draco said indignantly.

"You kiss her all the time, you hug her too," Bee said smugly.

Draco nodded, but he knew that those kisses Bee had witnessed were sideway pecks and friendly hugs, not the passionate lip lock she had just seen which she had been taught was inappropriate between people who were not married.

"She smells good, doesn't she?" Bee asked.

"Well, yes," Draco agreed.

"It's okay to kiss people when you love them," Bee said after a moment, studying him carefully.

"I do not love your mother," he said hastily. "Not that way anyway."

"You love her, you do anything she wants and even when you say her name, it sounds different," Bee said intelligently.

"How so?" Draco asked.

"Like it's a piece of candy, like it's light as a feather and covered with blankets," Bee said.

"I do not say your mother's name like it's covered with blankets," Draco grimaced. "Do I?"

"You don't yell at her or get angry when she isn't fair," Bee pointed out. "Because you don't want to hurt her feelings. You love her."

Bee slid off the bed and raced down the steps after her mother, leaving Draco in the room.

Draco wondered if Bee knew him better than he knew himself. He does hold the word Hermione balanced carefully, lightly on his tongue, as if it is made up of the fragile yet beautiful things in the world- butterflies, rainbows… love. He would do anything she wanted. But that was where Bee was wrong. It's not because he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

It was because when she is bruised, he's the one who aches.

--

"Okay, that was scary," Hermione confessed to Draco, sitting in front of the mirror.

"What?" he asked.

"Bee seeing us," she said impatiently.

"Right, that," he muttered distractedly.

She narrowed her eyes and swiveled around to stare at him. "Did something happen after I went downstairs?"

Draco shifted uneasily. "Well," he said guiltily.

"Spit it out," she commanded.

"In short, she just wanted me to admit that I love you," he sighed. "She's smart."

"She's ours," Hermione grinned.

"Are you going to tell her?" Draco asked.

"About you?" Hermione asked back.

He nodded stiffly.

"Draco," she sat down heavily on the bed so the mattress bounced beneath him. "When the time comes, I will, but for now, she's too unstable for me to tell her something like that. She's too young, she won't understand."

Draco sighed. "I know, but she's mine. I don't like the idea of her growing up thinking that son of a bitch is her father."

"Draco, don't say that about Ron," Hermione said angrily.

"Okay, I'm sorry," he mumbled. There was a pause and then he reached for her hand. His fingers brushed across her wedding ring and she flinched.

"This breaks me," he said hollowly. "God forbid, it breaks me."

"I'm sorry," she said, pulling her hand away then hiding the offending ring behind her back. "I'm going to check on Bee." She said- an excuse to get away from the suffocating silence in the room.

She stopped at Bee's room and watched her daughter cradle a thick book in her lap, her eyes skimming the page hungrily.

"So much like you huh?"

She turned away and he put his arms around her- an apology.

"Of course," she smiled- forgiveness.

If Draco had not chosen that moment to glance down, he would have missed Hermione sliding her wedding off her finger and dropping it gently into her pocket.

* * *

A/N:

I'm SO SORRY for updating so late ): things have been awfully hectic and i'm having some problems at home, which meant i didn't have much time to write. i hope this makes up for the lateness.

thanks for all the reviews and i would LOVE IT if i got more (:

-lissie


	13. Thirteen: Never Over

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

**Perfect Mistake**

Thirteen

Never Over

* * *

Draco hoisted his daughter up so she could look in the shop window. "Which one?" he asked.

Bee pressed her face against the glass, brow furrowed. "That one," she said with a note of finality, jabbing her thumb violently against the glass.

He laughed. "You think she'll like it?" he asked nervously.

Bee pressed her hands on both sides of his face. "She will like anything you give her," she said solemnly, then split her face with a wide smile. "Come on, let's go in and you can pay. In the meantime, you can buy me something too."

He rolled his eyes skywards. "Fine," he huffed.

"Hello, little lady," the salesgirl said to Bee, and then turned to flash Draco an amiable smile. "What are you looking for, sir?"

"I'm looking for a gift for… someone special," he explained. "I was thinking about that ring displayed in the window- that one," he pointed.

The salesgirl waved her wand and the ring landed gently in front of her. "Lovely choice, there are only 100 pieces of this made," she informed Draco.

"Okay, I'll just pay," Draco fished around for his wallet. "Bee," he barked in horror. "Stay still, God forbid if you fall," he muttered. Bee stopped her bouncing on the spinning stool.

"You're lucky to have such a good Daddy," the salesgirl smiled at Bee.

Draco was about to sign his name and stopped.

Bee glanced at Draco, and smiled in a way that made a dozen warning bells go off in his head- she sounded like him when he was ready to blackmail someone into doing his bidding- _not good_. "_Daddy_," she said sweetly and Draco's heart swelled. "I want my ears pierced," she announced, grinning.

--

"Oh Merlin, what happened?" Hermione covered her mouth, staring at the blossoming bruise on Draco's forehead.

"He fainted," Bee proclaimed proudly.

"Shut up," Draco said mortified, slapping his daughter's head gently. "I told you not to tell!"

Hermione started to laugh. "Bee, tell me what happened, you have to."

"I got my eyes pierced and he fainted," Bee explained. "He whacked his head on the floor when he fell and he lay there until the sales lady said a spell."

Draco sighed in exasperation. "It's not funny."

"These are amazing," Hermione told Bee, touching the diamond studs that pierced her daughter's earlobes lovingly.

"Bee," Draco whispered, nudging her with his foot.

Bee's eyes lit up knowingly. "I'm going to potty," she announced, running off.

Draco blew a long breath and his fingers closed around the box that was tucked in his pocket.

"What?" Hermione demanded suspiciously.

Draco moved to stand in front of her. "Remember that time when I got Bee to pass you a note," he asked lightly.

She nodded. "You let me go," she smiled.

"Just now, on the way home, I realized that what I was doing at that moment, wasn't letting you go, Hermione," he said.

She cocked her head. "Then what were you doing?"

"I was trusting you to come back," he said, the words falling onto her lips, which parted instinctively before he even leaned down to kiss her.

"Hermione," he broke the kiss, breathing heavily. "Wait," he said.

Her mouth went dry when he produced an unmistakable jewellery box from his pocket.

"Draco," she said breathlessly.

"Please," he managed to say, the words that he had rehearsed disappearing from his brain completely.

The box opened with a soft pop and inside laid the most beautiful ring Hermione had ever laid eyes on.

"Aren't you suppose to say something?" she asked, trying to come down from her initial shock, bliss blooming in her heart and exploding.

He made a spluttering sound with the effort to string the right words together. "Hermione," he tried.

"It's okay," she said smiling. "Take your time."

He took a deep breath, shaking. All the possibilities, he thought, would she say yes? What if she didn't? Would he die right then and there?

"Be mine," he said simply.

Her heart skipped. "Not marry me?" she asked gently.

"I could marry you, Hermione, but you may not be mine," he said. "I want you to be mine, marriage is just a… I don't know, a confirmation?"

"But Draco, I'm already yours," she said, gently laying a hand on his arm. "Now, the only thing missing," she said, slipping the ring on. "Is the wedding ring," she finished, holding her hand up so that the jewel caught the light and filled the room with a burst of blinding light.

--

Ron sighed heavily, slumped on the chairs, waiting for his turn to visit the psychologist.

Ginny and her fantastic idea- she thought that a shrink could fix him. He wanted to laugh. Nothing could fix this mess. Ron rubbed his hands over his face.

"Hey."

He looked up. A dark haired woman walked out of the office, clutching her bag to her chest tightly. There were dark circles under her dark eyes and her hair looked like it had been hastily scraped into a ponytail, she looked as disoriented as he felt. "It's your turn," she said. "Dr. Frank will see you now."

He stood up and was about to walk in when he paused. "Wait," he called after her. "Why are you here?" he asked simply, as though it was the most natural thing to ask her.

Her gaze softened. "I died," she said quietly.

He met her gaze. "You?" she asked back.

"I died too," he confessed.

She smiled and turned around, continuing her walk down the hall, her ponytail swinging behind hair.

--

_Seventh Year_

_Hermione's boots skimmed the stone floor, making rhythmic clicks. Night patrol, it was her duty as Head Girl. Not that she didn't enjoy it- Hogwarts was a different place at night, she thought._

_There was none of the usual hustle and bustle, none of the hectic; just quiet. Not complete deafening quiet, but the comforting kind, with the occasional rustle of the leaves and the whisper of the wind._

_Her fellow head boy Blaise Zabini from Slytherin who was civil to her, but nothing more, hated night patrol. Most of the time, she would offer to take his rounds and he would return the favour by drawing up weekly timetables. _

_There was a loud noise, much like someone swearing and cursing._

_She gasped, drawing her wand quickly and chastised herself for over reacting. It was probably some out of bed student; she shook her head in exasperation._

_She rounded the corner, wand out, ready to give her usual 'why are you out of bed after curfew' lecture._

_Her jaw slid open. "Malfoy?" she whispered incredulously._

_He was leaning against the wall, looking disheveled. He hiccupped and the grey eyes that settled on her face were glassy and unfocused._

"_Are you drunk?" she accused, smelling the alcohol on his breath._

"_I'm perfectly fine," he said indignantly, scowling at her._

"_Right," she said sarcastically. "Why are you out of bed after curfew?"_

"_None of your business," he snapped. _

"_What?" she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Excuse me, Malfoy, I am Head Girl and I have a responsibility!"_

"_Get out of the way, Granger," he spat, giving her a clumsy push._

_She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Malfoy," she warned. "I'm giving one more chance. The most I'll do is take 10 points of Slytherin and send you off to bed but if you still continue with this drunken charade of yours, I'll have to inform Prof. Snape."_

"_Oh you really scare me, Granger," he faked a shudder and sneered at her._

"_10 points from Slytherin for being found after curfew," Hermione said tightly. "Now, are you going back to bed or are you going to stand her and argue with me?"_

"_I'm not doing as you say, Granger," he spat. "Don't you know who I am?" he laughed loudly, jabbing her shoulder with a finger._

_She rolled her eyes. He was really drunk._

"_I'm Draco Malfoy," he announced._

"_Yeah, I know," she said, enunciating each word like he was a four year old. "I kind of figured that out seven years ago, Malfoy."_

_He glowered at her. _

_She fought a laugh. He really wasn't threatening when he was drunk. His usually perfectly groomed hair was tousled and pointing in strange angles all over his head. His cheeks were flushed from the alcohol and his gestures were clumsy and sluggish._

_His voice slurred when he spoke. "Granger, get out of my way, I'm warning you, or I'll," he stopped to glare at her dramatically._

"_Or you'll what?" Hermione asked in exasperation. "Hiccup at me?" _

"_Or I'll," he continued and then he stumbled, falling onto her._

_She shrieked as his entire weight collapsed onto her. "Get off me!" she hissed. She grabbed him by the top of his robes and threw him off her._

"_I feel sick," he mumbled, looking slightly green._

"_Uh oh," she winced. "Er, not on me, Malfoy," she started to panic when he bent over and dry heaved. _

"_I'm won't be sick on you," he told her. "Don't get your knickers in a twist." He tried to straighten himself but fell to his knees instead, leaning against her legs._

"_Get off your ass, Malfoy, you are a mess," she spat at him._

_He got onto his feet, unbalanced and unsteady. "I am not a mess," he whispered, meeting her eyes._

_For a moment, his usual alertness returned to his eyes._

_His fingers closed around her wrists and in a second, he had her pinned against the wall, her wand falling uselessly to the ground. _

"_Malfoy, let me go," she commanded._

"_No," he said._

"_I mean it," she struggled. "Let me go, right now."_

"_No," he repeated firmly._

_Then he did the last thing she thought he would. He bent his head sideways and kissed her full on the mouth._

_She could taste the alcohol in his mouth and nearly gagged. "Get off," she whimpered._

"_Don't," he said and she froze, hearing a pleading note in his voice. He took the chance to deepen the kiss._

_The moment his tongue pushed past her lips, her eyes rolled back in her head, her heart beating so hard she swore the entire castle would hear._

_She could feel her pulse in the most secret of places- between her legs, behind her ears, the insides of her thighs and behind her navel._

_Finally, she mustered enough energy to wrench free. "What do you think you're doing?" she snarled. _

_He leaned against the wall, panting. "Don't," he said again._

"_On the account that you're drunk and that you don't have a clear head, I'm not going to report what you did, go to bed right now," she instructed, trying to regain her composure._

"_It's not over, Granger," he said quietly._

_Her eyes snapped to his face. Was he sober? _

_His face was still flushed red and his eyes somewhat unfocused. "We'll never be over, Draco," she whispered as he walked unsteadily towards the Slytherin dungeons.  
"Hasn't it always been that way?_

_She watched him walk away and when he nearly crashed into a suit of armor, she found herself with his name on the tip of her tongue. Draco._

_She spent the rest of the night trying to convince herself it was because of her duty as Head Girl to make sure all students got to bed safely that she followed Draco Malfoy the rest of the way back to his common room before going to bed.

* * *

A/N: How was it?_

I'm sorry that I haven't updated for such a long time but I've been really really busy.

Anyway this is the second last chapter and there's only one more left. I have it almost done now and I'm working on it. It should be up today too (:

Please review! The story is almost over!

-lissie

_**I'm working on something new and it look quite promising. It centres on Draco and Hermione, of course, but I'm going to include Lucius and Narcissa, and maybe some other characters to form a subplot. What do you guys think? **_


	14. Fourteen: Bittersweet

Disclaimer: I am not JRK, and I'm making no money off this.

**Perfect Mistake**

Fourteen

Bittersweet

_Graduation Ball_

_Hermione plastered her most dazzling smile on her face and proceeded to do more hand shaking._

"_Fantastic Head Girl," someone from the ministry whose name she had forgotten pumped her hand. "We've all heard about your achievements, Ms Granger."_

"_Thank you," Hermione said with a smile. _

"_I thought the hand shaking would never end," she muttered to Ron who was her date._

_He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Well, who asked you to be such an accomplished Head Girl that everyone just has to tell you how great you really are?"_

_Hermione gathered her long dress- something Ginny had picked out for her. It was pink, sequined and floor length with a plunging neck line and felt like a second skin. She was still uncomfortable about the V-neck that showed off a considerable amount of cleavage but everyone was convinced it look amazing on her, so who was she to disagree? She never had Ginny's good taste in clothes anyway._

_Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco Malfoy. Her heart jumped. Somehow, after the drunken kiss they shared after curfew, she stopped hating him. It didn't mean she liked him; she just stopped thinking of him as an evil villain, now that she actually had seen him vulnerable._

_He looked dashing in black velvet robes and his hair was even more silver in the light. _

_Narcissa Malfoy had her hand on his back, smiling up at her son with the air of a proud mother. Hermione had always thought Malfoy got his looks from Lucius but now that she saw Narcissa beside him, she realized that Malfoy looked more like his mother than father. The hair of course was Lucius' hair colour, but Draco's smirk was less cruel like his father's but more haughty like his mother's. They had the same nose and the same curved lips._

_Hermione walked purposefully over to where they stood, after all it was her duty to shake hands with all the parents, which had been what she was doing the whole time._

"_Mrs Malfoy," she said politely. "I'm Hermione Granger, Head Girl." _

_Narcissa Malfoy shook her hand. "Pleasure to meet you," she said, with a small smile on her face that revealed nothing._

"_Refreshments are over there," Hermione gestured. "Please feel free." She smiled again before walking off._

"_Granger."_

_She paused and turned around. "Malfoy?"_

_Draco mentally slapped himself. Why did he stop her when he didn't even know what to say?_

"_Can I have a word with you?" he asked, keeping his voice cold._

"_Of course," she answered back, icily._

_She walked to a corner and tilted her chin, motioning for him to start speaking._

"_You look nice," he said finally. Beautiful, he thought, absolutely beautiful._

_She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What?" she asked incredulously. _

"_Beautiful," he said. "You look beautiful." Completely utterly painfully beautiful, so beautiful I ache._

_She blushed, from her neckline all the way to the roots of her hair. "Thank you," she said stiffly. "You look… nice too."_

_He nodded. "You did a good job as Head Girl this year."_

"_I would say so myself, seeing that I was the one who found you drunk on night patrol," she said easily._

_She saw his cheeks dye red. _

"_Right, that," he said distractedly._

"_Malfoy," she started but didn't know how to finish that sentence._

_His hands locked on either side of her face and pulled her forward, like gravity. When his mouth sealed over hers, it was bittersweet._

_He wasn't Ron, Hermione noticed, so their lips don't move in a familiar rhythm. He wasn't Ron, so their teeth grinded against each other. He held the back of her head as though he was scared she would break away or push him away like before. She didn't struggle; she didn't try, just stood there and let him kiss her._

_Finally he broke away, breathing erratic._

_He pivoted on his heels and hurried away, tugging on his crumpled robes in the process. Hermione slumped against the wall, her hand over her heart, trying to coax it into calming down._

_He wasn't Ron, she thought, but why was it that nothing she and Ron had ever done had made her feel this way before?_

"_Hermione, here you are!" Ron grinned at her._

_She smiled back. He pulled her into a hug and kissed her so tenderly Hermione almost unraveled. She kissed him back, urgently, trying to make sense of why this kiss felt so different from the other before. She could still taste Draco- when had it become Draco? Just barely two minutes he had still been Malfoy- like a stolen candy tucked against her cheek, sweet when she least expected it._

--

"You sure this is going to work?" Draco asked nervously, studying the bottle of sea foam green gel.

Fred snorted. "Of course it works, we tried it out ourselves!"

Hermione laid a hand on Draco's back. "Trust them; they know what they're doing. This concerns Bee, they won't hurt her."

Draco nodded. "Alright then, how much of it?"

George smoothed his hand over Bee's bald head and exchanged a glance with Fred. "Well depends how long you want it."

"Shoulder length," Hermione answered the same time as Draco replied, "Waist length."

"Are you insane? How are we going manage that much hair?" Hermione barked.

"What? That's the Malfoy hair, it's always manageable!" Draco exclaimed. "The Malfoy hair only works its charm on a female when it's _long_!"

"She's only five! She doesn't need that kind of charm," Hermione argued.

"Look, we can always cut it if it's too long," Draco reasoned.

"That sounds reasonable," Hermione nodded. "Go on then."

Fred dipped the brush into the gel and smeared it over Bee's head gently.

Bee shivered and giggled. "It's so cold!" she gasped, squirming.

"Hold still," Draco said. "Do you want to end up with more hair on one side of the head and less on the other?"

Mortified, Bee froze. "No," she whispered.

"I can't believe she got the Malfoy vanity," Hermione groaned.

"Hey, it comes with the package," Draco said indignantly. "How do we look so good if not for the vanity?"

"Wait five seconds, George instructed.

After about six seconds, the effect was amazing. Silver blonde hair began to sprout from Bee's head, unfurling and growing at a steady rate. Bee broke into a wide smile when she felt hair graze her shoulders and continue sprouting.

The growth only slowed when it passed Bee's hips.

"There," Draco said proudly.

"Don't wash for six hours," Fred warned.

"Okay, thank you," Hermione smiled. "You know how much I love you boys."

Fred and George both grinned.

"Okay, it's lovely," Hermione admitted. "We won't cut, but once it gets any longer we have to cut."

Draco whooped and tossed his daughter into the air. "Now we get to dazzle the boys," he declared.

"Excuse me?" Hermione said icily.

Draco sealed his mouth shut. "I didn't say anything," he said quickly.

--

"It's over," he said, lying on his back, his arm encircling her waist. "I'm so glad this whole dramatic fiasco is over.

"Nope," she smiled, propping herself up to look at him. "It's only beginning. We have a daughter to bring up, we need to plan and get her ready for school- how can it be over?"

"That's my Hermione, always thinking about school," he snorted.

She glared at him. "Oh, shush," she scolded. "Who are you to say anything, Mr. Second-In-The-Year?"

"Yeah? At least I didn't spend every bloody waking hour with my head buried in books!"

"Hey! That's untrue, Draco, completely untrue and you know it!"

"Oh well then," he smirked down at her, changing position swiftly so he was braced atop her, grinning down. "Why don't you show me what else you can do?" he said, his voice dropping to a whisper.

Both their heads tipped towards each other, their lips scarcely an inch apart.

There was a call from the next room and she bolted up straight, making him yelp in shock and fall onto the floor.

"For the love of-" he swore, scowling as Hermione raced out of the room at their daughter's call.

"We'd have to get used to that, don't we?" he asked sullenly, following her out.

"No, you will," she smirked.

He huffed his displeasure. "It's all your fault," he muttered to Bee.

"What did I do?" she asked, her eyes wide.

He grumbled and Hermione laughed, gathering Bee in her arms and standing up. She propped her daughter up so that Draco was eye level to Bee.

"She's our miracle, Draco," she whispered.

He pressed a kiss to Bee's head. "Miracle of all miracles," he agreed.

She smiled into Bee's hair and her fingers entwined with his as they sandwiched the evidence of their love between them, filling the house with the fresh smell of love.

**_-finis-_**

****

A/N: There, you go(: The End.

Please review!

And please check out the new story I'm working on- Evanscent. (:

-lissie


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